Modern Reality
by TassanaBurrfoot
Summary: Bankotsu is alive and living with Kagome in the modern era, but will he be able to adapt? Or will he forever be a mercenary? (Sequel to Tainted)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** If you have not read my story "Tainted", please click on my name to get to it so you can. This story is a sequel to that and if you don't read Tainted first, you're not going to understand a lot of this.

I had originally written this story on Adult FanFiction, however, I had gone through a bout of Writer's Block and it was put on hold. Now I am picking it back up, dusting off the pages, and getting back to work on it. :) And I noticed that I didn't have this story posted on here. (Shame on you, Tassana!) So, I am correcting my mistake. I hope you all enjoy. And, please, remember to read Tainted. :)

I will **warn** you, this story does pertain rape and abuse and may even involve killing and death. Remember, Bankotsu was a mercenary who actually enjoyed his job. So, if any of these make you squeamish, this might not be the story for you.

* * *

 **Prologue**

Inuyasha threw his set of keys into the tray angrily. "Doesn't he have his own home?" he demanded with a growl.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow at the hanyou as Kagome and Shiori entered the house as well. He put his son down as Kagome closed the door. Bankotsu answered the hanyou the moment the door was shut. "I just returned from the dead. As far as I'm concerned, my home is wherever my wife and child are. Why are you here?" he added.

Inuyasha snarled as he pointed an accusing finger at the mercenary. "I've been busy doing your job, corpse," he snapped. "This is my home. I pay the bills, put food on the table, and make sure Banryu gets a good education. I take care of him and of Kagome."

"Then it's a good thing I'm back," Bankotsu said. "I can take care of my family from here. We don't need you anymore, mutt."

Inuyasha raised his lip. "It's us who don't need you," he growled. "Now get the fuck out of my house."

The mercenary's eyes narrowed as he took a step towards Inuyasha. His voice was dangerously low as he spoke, "Do not think for one moment that you can order me to do anything. Kagome is my wife. Banryu is my son. Not yours."

Inuyasha took a step closer to Bankotsu. "Kagome is not your wife. This is the modern era now, corpse," he growled. "You wanna be married to her; you gotta get court papers and legalize it. You can't just rape someone and claim them as your own anymore."

"Get the fuck out of my face," the mercenary warned, for the two men were nose to nose with one another.

Snapped out of their states of shock from the sudden confrontation, Kagome and Shiori moved into action. Kagome grabbed Bankotsu's arm as Shiori grabbed Inuyasha's. "Guys," Kagome pleaded, "don't do this. Please don't do this."

"Come on, Inuyasha," Shiori murmured. "He's not worth it."

As Kagome tugged on Bankotsu's shirt sleeve, she whispered, "Bankotsu, please, not here. Banryu is just in the other room."

The two men stared at one another for a moment longer, but it was Inuyasha who backed off first. "Kagome's right," he growled. "There's no reason to fight with Banryu so close by. But I'm warning you, corpse, if you hurt either of them, I'll send you right back to your grave where you belong."

"You worry about your own wench, mutt," the mercenary hissed. "Leave Kagome and Banryu to me. I'll take care of them."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he drew back his fist to punch Bankotsu. Before he could, however, Banryu's voice floated between the two men. "Daddy, look! I got two swords now," he said, as he held up two plastic swords.

The tension in the air quickly dispersed as everyone focused their attention on the little boy. As the boy prattled on about the swords, Bankotsu bent down on one knee to get down to Banryu's eye level and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

Shiori managed to pull at Inuyasha's arm until she drew him away from the mercenary. "Why don't we go to the kitchen and get dinner started?" she suggested. "I'm sure Banryu is starving after today."

At the mention of food, Inuyasha tore his attention away from the child and father and followed Shiori into the kitchen. Bankotsu watched the two hanyous leave.

"Is it true?" he asked, glancing up at Kagome. "You're staying with them?"

She nodded. "Well," she corrected with a shrug. "I'm not exactly sure who is staying with whom. The three of us bought the house together and we have divvied up the cost of mortgage and the other bills. So, the house belongs to all three of us. We're all on the deed, though Inuyasha and I are the main owners."

The mercenary frowned. "Is there something going on that I should know about?" he asked suspiciously.

The miko shook her head. "We're just friends, Bankotsu, that is all," she assured him. "After we defeated Naraku, Inuyasha returned here to stay with me. He promised to help me raise my son, even though my feelings for him had changed. We love one another, yes, but it's more or less the same way a brother loves his sister and vice versa."

Bankotsu glanced at Banryu. Kagome could see the suspicion in the man's eyes as he asked, "You're certain that's all he feels towards you?"

The miko thought about that for a moment. Although Inuyasha had Shiori now, Kagome had a sinking suspicion that Inuyasha's feelings towards Kagome had never really changed. The last thing the miko wanted, however, was for the two men to start fighting over her.

Banryu suddenly reached up and touched the tattoo on Bankotsu's forehead. The two adults stared at their son. The boy handed his father one of the plastic swords. "You're not paying attention, Daddy," he growled. "I said I want to sword fight. Uncle Inu said he would teach me, but I want you to teach me. You'll teach me, right?"

Kagome blanched as Bankotsu smiled. "Of course I'll teach you," he told the boy. "I'll teach you all sorts of things and make you into a real warrior."

The miko quickly shook her head. "There's no reason for that," she said. "This isn't the Feudal Era anymore. People don't use swords these days."

Banryu's face brightened as he put his sword down and made a gun out of his hand. "No! They use guns!" he agreed before making gun noises and pretending he was shooting Bankotsu and Kagome.

Kagome's eyes widened when she realized her mistake. A sword in Bankotsu's hands was bad enough. The last thing she needed was for him to learn how to use a gun. She had been so careful to discourage such behaviour in Banryu. It was hard as the boy seemed to have a keen interest in swords and guns.

Bankotsu watched the boy for a while longer before standing up next to Kagome. "What about our marriage?" he asked. "The mutt said something about us not being married? What was that about?"

Kagome nodded. "We would have to go to the courthouse and have our marriage legalized in the eyes of the law," she told him as she turned her head to meet his eyes. "Things are much different in this day and age. You need identification and a job. You have to pay taxes and not break the law."

"Laws," the mercenary scoffed. "Sounds like something my father would have said."

The miko nodded again. "And he would be right," she replied. "Laws are what make up this country now. They run it and keep it from back pedaling. Well, laws and technology."

He slipped his hand around Kagome's waist and pulled her closer to him. A smile spread across his face as he nuzzled her hair. "Laws are so boring," he whispered. "I can think of something a bit less boring that we could talk about."

Kagome placed her hands on his chest and pulled away slightly so she could look into his eyes. He took advantage of that and kissed her. His arm tightened around her waist as his free hand buried itself into her hair to caress the back of her head.

It had been so long since he had held this woman. Bankotsu felt as though he could burst with need. He pressed his sudden erection against her belly causing her to gasp. The mercenary took that gasp and deepened the kiss.

The feeling of a small hand hitting his thigh made Bankotsu growl, but he chose to ignore it. He was enjoying the feel of this woman in his arms. It had been far too long and he wanted to savour every bit of her.

As he began trailing kissing down her neck, Kagome gasped, "Bankotsu, we shouldn't… do this… here. Inuyasha…"

Bankotsu snarled as he tore his mouth from her neck. "What the fuck do I care about Inutrasha? Let him see," he snapped, his eyebrows furrowed. "You belong to me, Kagome. You're mine, not his."

"That's not what I meant," she told him, looking up into his eyes. "I don't want to see the two of you start fighting. Aside from that, Banryu is here and this isn't exactly appropriate behaviour in front of him."

Bankotsu turned his gaze upon the boy who was pouting. The mercenary's eyes gleamed as he smirked. "You should take notes, son," he suggested. "One day, you'll have your own girl and you'll need to know how to pleasure…"

"Bankotsu!" Kagome interrupted in shock. She tried to tear herself from his grip. "You can't talk to him like that!"

The mercenary glared at the woman angrily and refused to let her go. "Do not tell me how I can and cannot talk to my son, woman," he growled. "I can see you and I have been apart for too long if you think you can speak to me in such a manner. You are my wife and you will learn to respect me."

The colour drained from Kagome's face. She remembered well the time they had spent together. Those first two months had been absolute hell. Bankotsu had only relented when Kagome began to cave. The look in his eyes now promised more of the same.

"Let. Her. Go," came a low growl from behind Kagome.

That wasn't Inuyasha's voice, however. The couple glanced at the newcomers to see Shippo and Koga standing in the doorway. It had been Koga who had spoken, though both demons had their teeth bared and fists clenched.

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed as he pulled Kagome more firmly against his chest. "You will not interfere," he snarled. "This is a private matter."

"Then you should have thought about that before making it public," Shippo snapped. "Now, let her go."

The mercenary gave them a cocky smirk. "Or what? Two puny demons are nothing for me," he taunted.

"Which is why you wouldn't be facing just two demons," Inuyasha growled as he stepped into the living room from the kitchen. Shiori stood beside him, her look of anger equal to his.

Realization dawned on Bankotsu as he glanced down at Kagome. "So this is why you live with the mutt, huh?" he asked her.

She shook her head in denial. "I live with him because…"

"Because he's always there to protect you," Bankotsu interrupted. The mercenary shook his head as he eased his grip on her, though he did not release her. "Who is he protecting you from, Kagome? Me? You know I wouldn't hurt you."

She reached up and touched his cheek. She could see the anger in his eyes, but she also knew the man within. "I know," she agreed. "And, no, he's not protecting me against you. It's not personal. You know how hotheaded Inuyasha can get."

"Hey!" the hanyou in question protested.

"Kagome," Shippo said, trying to keep calm, "what do you think he was about to do just now?"

The miko glanced at the fox demon and shrugged. "What did you think he was about to do?" she asked. "Bankotsu would never actually hurt me. I know this."

"Kagome, he was angry," the fox demon pointed out.

She nodded. "Yes, he was. Do you blame him? The last time he was alive, it was customary for the woman to keep her mouth shut and just do as she was told. He knows nothing about how we live in the modern world. It'll take some getting used to."

Koga threw his hands in the air. "I can't believe this!" he spat. "You're actually defending that asshole?"

It was Banryu's turn to speak up as he snapped, "Hey! Don't call my daddy an asshole!"

"Banryu!" Kagome scolded. She broke away from Bankotsu to give the boy her full attention. "What have I said about using that sort of language?"

"But Koga said…"

"I don't care what Koga said," she chided. "Koga is an adult and he can say whatever he wants. You, however, are too young to be using that kind of language. Now, go to your room!"

The little boy stuck his fists on his hips. "Not until Koga says sorry! He called my daddy a bad name and I demand he apologize for it!"

"Banryu! Now!" Kagome shouted as she pointed to his bedroom.

The boy planted his feet stubbornly and puffed out his chest. "No."

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed. "Boy, if you don't do as she says, I'm going to tan your hide," he warned. "Your mother ordered you to do something and you better to it now."

"You're not touching him," Inuyasha growled.

The mercenary's eyes snapped to the hanyou. It was Kagome, though, who snapped, "Inuyasha, sit boy!"

As the hanyou fell to the ground, Kagome grabbed Banryu's arm and practically dragged him to his room. She forced the boy into his bedroom and shut the door. Walking back into the living room, she glared at Koga.

"I'm not defending him," she spat, glaring at Koga. "I am pointing out the differences in our cultures. And pointing out the fact that he was not going to hurt me. Bankotsu and I have argued many times before this. And I had none of you there to stop him from doing anything to me, yet not once during our arguments did he ever hurt me."

"But…"

"No, Koga," she argued. "You're not going to tell me how to act and react towards my husband. Nor are you going to insert yourself into our family disputes. If I need your opinion or interference, I'll ask for it."

Koga's eyes narrowed. "Fine," he growled. He let his hands fall to the side. "But if he hurts you, I'm coming after him."

Kagome shook her head, but Koga turned on his heel and left the house. Kagome watched him leave, a mixture of sadness and anxiety in her eyes. She glanced at Shippo, who had a thoughtful look on his face.

When he spoke, his voice was curious rather than argumentative. "I thought he had raped you."

Kagome sighed. The heat of her anger was diminishing at a rapid pace. "At first, yes," she told him. "But Bankotsu had changed during the course of our being together. When we argued, truly argued, he didn't hurt me. Never raised even a finger to me."

The fox demon nodded thoughtfully as he asked, "And just now? What was that about?"

"That was none of your business," Bankotsu said, moving to stand beside Kagome. "And it still isn't. Kagome and I were having a disagreement. We're a married couple. It happens. And I'm sure it will happen many more times. It's not an invite for others to butt in."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You're not a married couple, corpse."

"Not yet, maybe," Kagome agreed, turning to Inuyasha. "But we will be. Bankotsu and I still have a lot of things to discuss and figure out. He doesn't even have a birth certificate."

Kagome glanced at her spouse curiously. "Should we use your family name?" she asked.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow as he thought about it. The last time he had been called by his family name, he was ripping open his servant's stomach. "I don't have one," he answered.


	2. Chapter 1

Kagome knew there was no point in asking such a question. The tension between Bankotsu and his father was still too great…

 _Seven Years Ago…_

Bankotsu walked into the bedroom and was surprised to see Kagome sitting on the bed, bent over a bunch of scrolls. "Hey, beautiful," he said. "What'cha doin'?"

She glanced up at him before turning her attention back to the scrolls. "Bankotsu, does this manor belong to you?" she asked, as she shifted the opened scrolls before her.

He smirked. "What do you think?" he questioned as he walked towards the bed, untucking his haori in the process.

"I think it does," she replied. She held up a scroll and looked at him. "This is the property deed. And these," she indicated the other scrolls, "-are all about this manor and the family lineage. It ends at a man named…"

He stopped her before she could say the name. "Yes, this manor belongs to me," he said irritably. "What of it?"

"Bankotsu," she whispered as she looked up at him, confusion written on her face, "you're a lord."

He shook his head. "My father was a lord," he corrected, picking up one of the scrolls. "When he died, my brother picked up the title. I got nothin' except enlisted into the guard."

The hatred in his eyes as he glared down at the parchment in his hands made Kagome shudder. "Where is your brother now?" she asked softly.

Bankotsu shrugged as he tossed the scroll back onto the bed. "With any luck, he's rottin' in his grave," he commented. "Where did you find these?"

She waved a hand at the door. "You said I could walk around the manor. I did so and found an old office that looked as though it hadn't been used in decades. These scrolls were in one of the desk drawers," she told him. "I thought you said you had pillaged and killed everyone in this manor, that you had stolen it?"

"I did," he argued as he sat upon the bed. "All of the servants, everyone. My brothers and I tore them to shreds and enjoyed doing it, too."

"You can't steal something from yourself, though," she pointed out.

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "This manor wasn't ever truly mine, though. Like I said, it belonged to my brother…"

"But the name on the scroll…"

"Is my brother's name," he told her. "He long ago abandoned this place in search of finding a more… suitable home for his family."

"Doesn't that mean the manor belongs to you, then?" she asked, glancing down at the deed. "If he abandoned it, then it should go to the next eldest male relative, which would be you."

Again, Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "What difference does it make?" he asked. "Why are you even bothering with that stuff anyway?"

Kagome shrugged. "I was just…" she faltered as she tried to think of the right words to say. Sighing, she responded, "I was hoping to learn more about you."

"How did you guess my family name? I never told you," he questioned as he lay down upon the bed. "My chosen name is far different from that which I was born with."

The miko shrugged again. "I would say it was a priestess thing, but I'd be lying," she commented as she handed him another scroll. "You said something the other day that threw me off. You said there were things about this manor, this 'castle' that I did not know. Things I didn't want to know. And you said I could roam around the manor so long as I didn't leave. So, I thought I would see what it was that I didn't want to know."

He smirked. "What did you learn? Aside from my name, that is."

Kagome shook her head. "Not much, I suppose," she replied honestly. "Just that your family has a lot of money, that you're a lord. Or, at least, you should be a lord. Your brother knew of your name change and he knew when you died. Surprisingly, he wasn't that upset over your death."

Bankotsu scoffed. "'Surprisingly'? I would have been surprised if he had been upset over it," he said as he turned onto his side to look at her. "My brother hated me as much as I hate him. I think it's something he and my father shared."

"Hate is such a strong word," the priestess commented as she looked down at the pile of scrolls. "I could never hate my own brother."

He raised an eyebrow. "No? I guess your brother must be pretty good to you then," he said.

She nodded and he continued, "My brother was a piece of shit. He was older than me, but only just. Because he was older, my father had already chosen him as the heir. My brother felt that gave him the right to do whatever he damn well pleased. He didn't think I'd return the favour the moment I got big enough."

 _Present Day…_

Kagome stared at the mercenary. She knew he was lying. And she knew that he knew that she knew he was lying. She also knew his family was a subject that was off limits.

This was important, however. How was she supposed to help him get any sort of registration if he did not have a family name? Without a family name, he could not get a driver's license, a job, or even be able to register as married to her.

Another thought came to her mind. Bankotsu at the local home improvement store might be a really bad idea. Actually, now that she thought about it, any job for him had the potential to be disastrous. There had to be a way for him to get money without resorting to crime.

She glanced at Shippo. "Do you think his family would still even be around?" she asked.

The fox demon raised an eyebrow. "The Band of Seven…"

"No, not the Band of Seven," she interrupted, waving her hand to dismiss the murderous gang. "I mean his blood family, the bloodline."

Shippo thought about it for a moment. "It's been roughly five hundred years, if not more," he surmised. "Human bloodlines don't last as long usually. I mean, we're talking, what, 20 generations at the least? Why?"

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she gave Bankotsu a patient look. "You were a lord. You had…"

"I was never a lord," he argued with a sneer. "We've discussed this once before. My brother was the lord."

"Until he died," she countered.

"In which case, his eldest son, or eldest living male relative, inherited the title," he pointed out. "I died long before he did."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I thought you killed him?"

Bankotsu shook his head and scoffed. "I would have liked to," he told her. "It was on my to-do list to kill him. Unfortunately, I got a bit sidetracked."

He glanced at her and chuckled at the surprised look on her face. "Don't worry, my little miko," he told her with a laugh. "You weren't the one who distracted me."

Kagome frowned as Inuyasha commented, "I don't know why you should care so much anyway, Kagome. Even if we could trace his brother's bloodline and if the bloodline still existed, you would have to kill off the descendants in order to gain whatever the man had. That's not exactly your style."

The miko shook her head. "No, it's not my style," she agreed.

Bankotsu smirked. "But it is mine," he said. "It would be the perfect revenge. Kill off my brother's family and take possession of his wealth…"

Shippo rolled his eyes and gave Kagome a rather tiring look. "He's never going to change. You realize that, right?" he commented.

Suddenly, Inuyasha smiled as well. "Hey! That is a good idea!" he said as he crossed over to the couch and sat down. Snapping his fingers, he said, "Find the corpse's former family and let him kill them. Then he'll be tried and found guilty for murder. The punishment, of course, would be death. Unfortunate, but at least he would be gone."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, a look of hurt crossing her face.

"We don't have to kill them," Shippo pointed out as he joined Inuyasha on the couch. "Or, rather, Bankotsu wouldn't have to kill them. If we can prove that Bankotsu is an heir, then the family would be entitled to compensate him for his time. He would gain a portion of what his father owned, which would be a portion of what his brother owned."

Shiori walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray of food at that moment. Bankotsu stared at the food hungrily as the hanyou handed the bowls out to everyone. When she walked up to the mercenary, his eyes trailed to hers. She offered him a soft smile and handed him a bowl with some chopsticks.

Bankotsu took the bowl and sat down on the floor. He watched as the others around him began eating. He was starving and the food smelled delicious, but he was in a room full of his enemies. The only person there that he trusted was Kagome.

Banryu burst out of his room at the smell of food. He did not look the least bit contrite as he asked, "Can I eat, too?"

Kagome gave the boy a stern look. "Do you promise to behave?" she asked.

The boy nodded and glanced down at his bare feet. "I'm sorry, Mommy," he told her. "I didn't mean to disobey."

The miko gave her son another hard look before sighing. "You may join us," she said, "but no more foul language. Understand?"

He nodded as a large smile brightened his face and he ran across the room. Sitting down next to his father, Banryu glanced at the older man's bowl. "Aren't you gonna eat, Daddy?"

Shiori handed a bowl of food to Banryu and the little boy immediately began to eat. Bankotsu glanced at his wife. Kagome nodded before reaching over with her own chopsticks and taking a healthy bit of rice out of Bankotsu's bowl.

He watched her as she ate the rice. Sighing, Bankotsu began to eat as well.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Inuyasha spat.

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned as the mercenary threw the hanyou an annoyed glance.

The hanyou waved at the mercenary with an irritated expression on his face. "What the hell is wrong with you? Did you think we poisoned it or something?"

The mercenary stopped eating and placed his bowl on the floor before him. He then leaned forward a bit to glare at the hanyou. "Let me ask you a question, mutt," he said. "You're in a room full of your enemies and one of them hands you a bowl of food. You did not watch them prepare the food or anything. Tell me, would you just start eating it?"

"Shiori doesn't even know you, jackass!" Inuyasha growled. "And even if she did…"

"I would never poison someone else's food," the female hanyou said softly as she sat in a cushioned chair next to the couch. "That would be a horrible thing to do."

Inuyasha held up two fingers. "There are only two things keeping me from breaking your fucking neck, douche," he snarled. "One, I know Kagome and Banryu would be upset if I did. And two, I don't feel like going to jail."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped.

"There's no need for all of that language," Shippo cut in. "Though, I do have to agree with Inuyasha to a degree." The fox demon looked at Bankotsu. "I know you do not trust us and I don't blame you. I wouldn't trust us either. But you know Kagome. She's not gonna let any of us do anything to you that would hurt you. And none of us are going to do anything to hurt her. Hurting you would hurt her, so you're safe from us."

"Speak for yourself, Shippo," Inuyasha spat as he sat back in his seat.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow as his eyes narrowed. "And why should I trust the word of a demon?"

"Because unlike most demons, I've spent most of my life around human monks and priestesses," Shippo answered calmly. "I also know the depth of Kagome's feelings for you, even if I do not understand them. Also, if what you said was true and Hachiman gave you life again, then that means something. You have one last chance to make something of your life, Bankotsu. You have to really decide if this is what you want. If you truly believe in Kagome, as I think you do, then you'll start having to put a little faith and trust in those she deems worthy. It's all you got."


	3. Chapter 2

Kagome closed the bedroom door with a sigh. "Shiori and I will take you out shopping for some clothes tomorrow," she said as she turned to look at Bankotsu.

The mercenary stood in front of the dresser, looking over the various objects that lay upon it. He picked up a picture frame that held a picture of Kagome and a toddler Banryu at the zoo. The mercenary scrunched his nose, not quite understanding why his family stood next to a baby elephant.

Kagome moved to stand next to Bankotsu. Gazing down at the picture she smiled and leaned her head against the mercenary's arm. "Banryu looks so much like you," she whispered. "Acts like you, too, for the most part."

Bankotsu gave the photo a small smile and placed it back on the dresser. Raising his head, he gazed at Kagome's reflection in the dresser's mirror. He closed his eyes and focused on the feel of her head on his bicep. It had been so long since he had felt any woman next to him, particularly this woman.

Opening his eyes, he turned so that he could wrap his arms around her. He stopped from actually wrapping his arms around her, however, and merely glided one hand along her arm. His eyes met hers. "I've missed you," he whispered before gently gripping her shoulder and pulling her into a kiss.

As they kissed, Bankotsu slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Lifting his other hand, he buried it into her hair. He felt her hands pull at his shirt and he moaned in pleasure. The feel and taste of her lips were heaven to him.

He slowly broke their kiss only to have his lips travel to her neck. His hand fell out of her hair and gently cupped her breast. He felt her hands reach up and bury themselves into his hair.

"Bankotsu…" Kagome gasped, "bed…"

Her words were breathless and filled with a need and desire that rivaled his. He bent down ever so slightly and grabbed her thighs, lifting her up and allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. Carrying her to the bed, they fell onto it together.

He broke away from her and took off his shirt. He then turned to her clothes, pulling off her shirt with ease. "This brings back memories," he commented as he heard the shirt rip slightly.

She smiled at him softly as she reached behind herself and unclasped her bra. "It's been too long," she murmured.

He smirked in reply before she reached up, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and pulled him into another searing kiss. Having no wish to be outdone by his woman, Bankotsu slipped his hand between her thighs as his other hand squeezed her bare breast. He smiled against her lips. "You've missed me, huh?" he breathed. "You're so wet."

"Less talking," she gasped, arching her back into his palm. "More fucking."

He threw his head back and laughed. "My little miko!" he chuckled, staring down at her. "Such a filthy mouth you've developed."

Her eyes narrowed and he could see the unabashed lust within them. "It's your fault," she accused.

He chuckled more as he bent down towards her. "Should I apologize for ruining you for other men, my dear?" he laughed.

She raised an eyebrow and, laughing, he started kissing her again. It was a glorious feeling to have his woman in his arms again. He tugged at her jeans and glanced down. "How do you get these fuckers off?" he growled.

It was Kagome's turn to laugh as she helped him unbutton first her pants and then his. Together, they finished throwing off the rest of their clothing before falling into one another…

 _Seven Years Ago…_

"Aren't you finished yet?" Bankotsu demanded as he opened the door to the bathhouse.

Kagome sat on the edge of the pool with a towel wrapped around her body, kicking her feet in the water. She glanced up at him as he entered. "I'm sorry," she said.

The mercenary frowned as he approached her. "You _are_ finished," he observed.

She shrugged. "I suppose so," she whispered as the turned her attention back to the water.

Bankotsu scrunched his nose up in distaste. He hated seeing her in anguish. "Mind telling me what has you depressed now?" he asked.

Again she shrugged before drawing her knees up to her chest. He sat down at the edge of the pool with her. "You miss them a lot, don't you?" he asked, genuinely.

She nodded as a tear went unchecked down her cheek. "I don't understand," she whispered. "I know you want revenge or whatever, but I just…" She sighed and a small hiccup kept her from continuing.

He leaned back, holding his body up with his hands. "Imagine, if you will, everything you had always known had been taken from you," he told her. "Your friends, your family, just… gone."

Kagome glanced at him. "But Inuyasha didn't do that," she told him.

"He wasn't the first, no," he admitted. "Naraku gave us a second chance at life and Inuyasha…"

"Naraku is just using you, Bankotsu," the miko snapped, turning her body more towards him. "He's using you to distract Inuyasha until he's able to do whatever it is he wants to do. When he's finished, do you really honestly believe he's going to allow you and your brethren to live?"

The mercenary shrugged. "Who said I plan on giving him a choice in the matter?" he asked. "Once I'm finished with Inuyasha, I'll take care of Naraku."

Kagome shook her head. "You don't know what he's capable of," she warned.

Bankotsu sat up and touched her cheek with his forefinger. "He doesn't know what I'm capable of," he whispered. "He underestimates my brothers and me."

She stared at him with sad eyes. "No, he doesn't," she softly argued. "You and your brothers are doing exactly what he predicts. I don't even know the seven of you well and I'm able to predict half of the things you, Jakotsu, and Renkotsu are going to do."

The mercenary smirked. "Oh, yeah?" he challenged. "And what, pray tell, do you predict us to do?"

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. She turned her head away from the mercenary. "Jakotsu is going to go after Inuyasha," she whispered. "Or, at least, he'll die trying. Inuyasha doesn't want to kill Jakotsu. He doesn't want to kill any of you. Yet, none of you give him a better option.

"If Renkotsu survives his next encounter with Inuyasha, which I think he will, he'll move after you," she continued. She stopped to meet the cobalt eyes of her captor. "I've seen the looks he's given you. He'll betray you, Bankotsu, the moment the time is right. He's a coward and a cheat."

The mercenary leader nodded. "So, you picked up on that as well, huh?"

Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped, pressing two of her fingers against her lips. "You mean, you know?"

Bankotsu smirked as he threw her a glance. "That's part of my job, my little miko," he told her. "I'm the leader of this band of mercenaries. I have to predict their moves and motives if I have any chance of leading them properly."

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.

He glanced at her. "You're the one who's predicting our moves. You tell me. What should I do in light of Renkotsu's coming betrayal?" he returned.

Kagome studied him for a moment. She gave an intake of breath before releasing it. "You're going to kill him, aren't you?" she asked, her voice coming out horrified.

Bankotsu stared at her thoughtfully. "You are, quite possibly, one of the most interesting people I have ever met," he told her. "I thought you hated Renkotsu. So, why are you so concerned with his welfare?"

The miko shook her head. "I don't hate him," she countered. "I only hate what he's done. I hate what he's going to do."

The subject of Renkotsu was beginning to bore Bankotsu. The mercenary gave her a sly grin. "And do you hate what I'm about to do?" he asked before leaning over and kissing her softly on the lips.

He pressed his body against hers and moved atop her, effectively forcing her to lie down. "Tell me, beautiful," he whispered lustfully, "what do you predict I am about to do?"

 _Present Day…_

As Bankotsu slid inside of her, the two people moaned in pleasure. He lay there frozen for a moment, enjoying the sensation of life, living, and being one with this woman he called his own.

Ever so slowly, he began moving inside of her, making certain to annunciate each thrust with a grunt and growl. Kagome's breathless moans and groans were music to his ears. Grabbing underneath one of her knees, he pulled her leg up and began to speed up his thrusting. "Oh!" she shouted in surprise.

Bankotsu smirked as his braid fell over his shoulder. His cobalt eyes flashed and he smiled lustfully. His mouth dropped open as he started to pound into her. As he fucked her, he watched Kagome's face.

At first, she had held his arm, but as he pace quickened and became more persistent, she released his arm and instead clutched at the bed sheets. Her mouth was opened in the shape of a small "O", and she tried desperately not to shout out.

"Sing… for me,… beautiful," he gasped between thrusts.

Though it had been years since the couple last lay with one another, Bankotsu's orders and Kagome's need to obey still remained. She gasped and moaned with every thrust. Sweat beaded her forehead and bits of her hair stuck to her face.

Bankotsu gave a final thrust and the couple groaned as he emptied his seed inside of her. He collapsed, though he managed to move so that he wasn't entirely on top of her. They lay there for a while, panting and gasping.

After a moment, the mercenary rolled off of Kagome, causing his cock to pull out of her. He lifted his hand to his face and pushed his fingers through his bangs. Licking his lips, he panted, "That was… God, that was… amazing. I haven't… haven't felt that good… in a… long time."

Kagome laughed through her own panting. She sat up and looked down at him. She propped herself on one arm and rested the other hand on his stomach, over his abs. "It's been a long time for me, as well," she told him. Then her eyebrows furrowed as her voice filled with concern, she asked, "Do you think anyone heard?"

He chuckled. "Oh, I hope they did," he laughed. "I hope that disgusting half breed heard every single shout and moan of pleasure I gave you."

The miko frowned. "Bankotsu…"

He sat up as she moved her hand off of his stomach. Raising an eyebrow, he cut in, "Don't think that has changed, Kagome. I still intend to milk every bit of torture I can from that bastard. I want him to know that I was the one who brought you pleasure. I want him to wallow in his misery with the knowledge that he could never do for you what I can."

Kagome shook her head as she turned away from him. "I thought we were finished with that," she whispered. "I thought you had already gotten your petty vengeance."

Bankotsu grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. His eyes narrowed as his voice became dangerously low, "My vengeance against him is over. It was over the moment I took your virginity, the moment I made you mine. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy torturing him. I will always, always enjoy the knowledge that his heart breaks and twists each time he knows I am making you happy."

"It doesn't have to be this way," she argued. "You've already won, Bankotsu. You have me. You have my son. Isn't that enough?"

"Do I have you, Kagome?" he asked. "Do you feel nothing for that asshole? Do you not wish for a life with him? A child with him?"

She shook her head and looked down at her hands. "A life with Inuyasha will never happen," she whispered. "Even if I wanted it, which I don't, I know nothing will ever occur. He doesn't want a tarnished and stained woman. He doesn't want someone… tainted."

Bankotsu was quiet for a moment before saying, "Good."

The miko looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Is this what you wanted?" she asked. "To make me suffer as much as him? Did I do something wrong for you to hate me so?"

The mercenary raised an eyebrow and touched her cheek. "I don't hate you," he told her, caressing her cheek and wiping at her tears with his thumb. "You were made for me."

Watery blue eyes met cobalt steel eyes. She could see the softness in his eyes, though. She nodded and glanced back down at her hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

His lips raised in a half smile. "There's no reason for you to be sorry, my little miko," he offered. "I don't blame you for anything that has happened. Nor do I blame you for thinking I could hate you."

She looked at him again. "Really? Why not?" she asked.

He shrugged and sniffed. "Who knows what lies these people around here have told you about me?" he commented. "I can't really blame you for the lies spouted by another, can I? Knowing you've been loyal to me is all I need to know their lies haven't worked. No doubt they tried telling you I abused you or brainwashed you or some other bullshit. You know I'd never hurt you, ignoring our first two months together, that is."

She nodded. "You only did what you had to do," she said. "I tried explaining that to them. I tried telling them that there would not have been any other way for you to get through to me. And it really wasn't all that bad. You made sure I had food and water. You made sure I was clean and taken care of."

He nodded absentmindedly and pushed some hair out of her face. It had been a hard four months and somehow, miraculously, she still managed to believe everything he told her. She was his, through and through. She may not have realized it, but Bankotsu reveled in his victory. Kagome belonged to him.

He wondered what it was that made her finally turn. What had he done that finally managed to break that wall he had been pounding on for four months? He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"I love you," she whispered.

He jumped back, his eyes wide, and stared at her. Love? She loved him? Since when?

Then he remembered the words he had mouthed to her. Those three little words he had whispered under his breath when she looked at him that final time. I love you.

So, that had been her turning point, huh? He smiled. "I love you, too," he replied.

He felt his heart skip a beat from his declaration, but he chose to ignore it as her smile brightened the room. She was happy and she was his. To Bankotsu, that was the greatest thing in the world.


	4. Chapter 3

Kagome could feel the strength and warmth of powerful, muscular arms around her body. Slowly blinking her eyes open, she looked down and saw those powerful arms and immediately recognized them. She rolled around to look at the man they belonged to.

In sleep, Bankotsu always looked peaceful, even boyish. The creases of his brow and the hard lines of his seriousness were melted away to reveal a calm, quiet person who seemed to innocent to have experienced the things Kagome knew Bankotsu to have experienced.

The bedroom had been lit by the early morning sun and soon, Banryu was going to barge into the bedroom with a demand for breakfast. In fact, Kagome was a bit surprised the boy hadn't come into the room to wake them up already.

As she watched Bankotsu sleep, the miko found herself thinking about his sudden reappearance into their lives. Why was he back? Had he been brought back to life by Hachiman out of the goodness of the god's heart? It just… didn't seem likely.

Though Kagome knew and believed that there was good in Bankotsu, she also knew he had lived a treacherous and unforgiving life. He had been cold, brutal, and evil in his former life. He hadn't cared about the lives of others and even delighted in ending such life. Blood and challenge was all Bankotsu had yearned for.

So, why was he back? The simple explanation he had given at Disneyland just did not make much sense to her.

Of course, Kagome was thrilled he had returned. The idea of having Bankotsu with her, knowing he was here and alive, was a dream come true for her. Even more, she fully believed that with time, patience, kindness, and love she could change the evilness that had been the blackened heart of Bankotsu.

Even more, Banryu had his father. It was something Kagome had wished for since she gave birth to the child. Finally, they could be a happy family together, just the three of them.

The mercenary stirred and Kagome smiled. As he blinked his eyes open, Bankotsu returned the smile. "Good morning, beautiful," he whispered, kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Good morning," she returned.

He chuckled. "Waking up to your beautiful face is, quite possibly, the most wonderful sight in the world," he added.

His words just made her blush. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

Her question was answered by the growl of his stomach. They both laughed as he replied, "Well, what can I say? After last night, I wouldn't be surprised if your stomach started growling."

She rolled away from him and slipped out of the bed. Walking over to her closet, she opened it and pulled out two robes. "I don't really have anything appropriate for a man," she said apologetically as she handed him her light green robe. "I'm not even sure that will fit you. But something tells me asking Inuyasha for clothes to borrow would be a bad idea."

"This is fine," he told her as he slipped the robe on. It fit him, but was pretty tight. "I would rather not wear any of that mutt's clothing."

She nodded. "I doubt he would let you anyway. Inuyasha can be stubborn on the best of things."

Bankotsu gave her a weak smile as he followed her out of the room. They entered the dining room to find Inuyasha and Banryu already at the table eating eggs and bacon. Shiori was in the kitchen cooking up some more eggs and Kagome's mouth watered at the aroma.

The dining room table was big enough for six people and was rectangular. Inuyasha sat at the head of the table while Banryu sat to his right. Kagome slipped into the chair next to Banryu and indicated the chair at the other end for Bankotsu. The mercenary gave the chair a cursory look, but finally decided to slip into it.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "What is that awful stench?" he asked as his ears flicked.

"Inuyasha," Shiori scolded, coming into the dining room with a hot skillet of eggs. She spooned some eggs for Kagome and some for Bankotsu.

"Arigato," the mercenary said softly, offering the female hanyou a charming smile. "Shiori," he added, careful to use her name, "I wanted to apologize for my behaviour last night. I should not have accused you of such dishonor."

The hanyou blushed. "Oh," she replied, putting the spoon back into the skillet so she could wave his apology away, "there's no need to apologize. It's been so long since the Feudal Era, I had forgotten how dangerous life had been during that time. You had every right to be suspicious."

"Still," he said, "I don't even know you and yet I automatically assumed the worst. It was wrong of me and I'm sorry."

Kagome just stared at the man, flabbergasted. She couldn't recall Bankotsu ever apologizing for anything that he had done on purpose.

Inuyasha snorted. "Don't be fooled, Shiori," he growled. "That corpse is a manipulative bastard who would slice your head off without giving a second thought on it."

"I wouldn't mind slicing _your_ head off, mutt," Bankotsu snapped, glaring at the hanyou.

"Boys!" Kagome scolded. "There is a child present. Shouldn't you be heading to work anyway, Inuyasha?"

The inu hanyou narrowed his eyes at the mercenary before wiping his mouth with his napkin. He looked at Kagome. "You sure I should leave you alone with this creep?" he asked, pointing his thumb at Bankotsu.

"I was alone with him for four months," she reminded the half breed. "Eight hours isn't going to make much of a difference. Besides, we won't be alone. Shiori and Shippo are both coming with us, remember?"

Inuyasha sighed. "Fine. Want me to take Banryu to school then?"

"You're not taking my son anywhere," Bankotsu stated, rather calmly.

Inuyasha glared at the mercenary. "That's not your call, corpse," he sneered.

"Actually," Kagome answered, "it kind of is, Inuyasha."

Amber eyes met blue eyes and Kagome shrugged. "Bankotsu is Banryu's father. I'll make sure he gets to school on time."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he stood up from the table. He picked up his plate, bringing it into the kitchen. He practically threw it into the sink. Kagome stood up and quickly walked into the kitchen.

"Inuyasha…"

"I'm fine!" he snapped, turning from the sink and moving back out into the dining room.

As the hanyou walked into the living room, Kagome followed. "You're not fine," she said. "You're angry."

He turned on his heel and glared at her. "Do you blame me?" he growled. "That rapist waltzes back into our lives uninvited and you accept him with open arms! I thought you were over that loser by now, Kagome. He hurt you!"

"He did not…"

"Wake up and smell the cum, Kagome!" the hanyou snapped. "He raped you. I don't give a shit what lies he told you after the rape. He raped you. Raped! Even you can't deny that, or if you do, you shouldn't. I'll bet he blamed the rape on you! And you're gullible enough to buy his filth!"

"I love him!" she shouted.

Silence filled the air at her proclamation. Inuyasha stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. He knew she had fallen into the mercenary's trap, but he hadn't realized how far she had gone.

Kagome waited with abated breath for him to become angry. She waited for him to lash out at her and call her all the horrible names she knew he had wanted to call her. Truth was, Inuyasha hadn't called her any horrible names since she returned to him. She figured he was just waiting for the right moment. And now, she had given it to him.

Inuyasha did not call her any horrid names. His anger dissipated like the helium in a pin pricked balloon. His angry eyes turned sorrowful and she could see how hurt he was.

For some reason, Inuyasha's pain was worse than his anger. More than that, his sorrow confused her. He seemed… sympathetic. "I'll see you tonight," he told her before turning away from her and leaving the house.

Kagome stood there staring at the door. She was so confused by him and his actions. She felt Bankotsu standing behind her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She reached up and touched his hand before turning around and looking up at him. As she did so, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. They stood there for a while until the doorbell rang.

Bankotsu's head snapped around the room. "What the hell is that?" he asked.

Kagome pulled away from him and chuckled. "It's the doorbell," she told him. At his confused look, she elaborated, "It's a chime for the door that allows us to know someone is at the door. It's preferable to someone knocking on the door."

He raised an eyebrow as he watched her walk to the door and open it. "Shippo!" she greeted.

"You're not going shopping dressed like that, are you?" the fox demon asked as he slipped into the house. "I'm not certain the various associates will appreciate it much."

Kagome glanced down and blushed furiously. With a squeak, she rushed to her bedroom. She paused only for a moment to turn around and grab Bankotsu's hand, leading him into the bedroom as well.

He watched as she dug into her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a blouse. She went into the dresser and grabbed a bra and panties before dressing. Then, she turned to him. She pinched her lips for a moment before sighing. "I suppose there's nothing for it," she commented. "You don't mind wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday, do you?"

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. "Why would I mind?" he asked.

It didn't take long for Bankotsu to dress. Kagome brushed her hair. After a moment, she unbraided his hair and brushed it as well. Once it was brushed, she braided his hair back and the two of them left the bedroom.

Shippo glanced up from the couch as Banryu ran into the living room from his bedroom. "Momma, I'm going to be late for school!" the boy complained.

"Right!" the miko said and then called, "Shiori, are you ready?"

The female hanyou walked out of her bedroom carrying her purse on one arm while still applying lipstick to her lips. "Would you mind if we stopped at a cosmetic store today, Kagome?" she asked, putting the lipstick back into her purse and checking her lips in her compact. "I am completely out of foundation and I want to get some new nail polish."

Kagome shook her head and told the girl she didn't mind. Shippo rolled his eyes. "What do you need nail polish for?" he asked. "Don't you get your nails done at the beauty parlor?"

"I used to," Shiori said, "but then Inuyasha cut my parlor fund. He said I spent too much money there and if I wanted to get my nails painted, I could do it at home."

The five people walked out of the house and Kagome locked the front door. Bankotsu stared at the SUV as Kagome unlocked the doors and people started piling into it. Shippo paused at the passenger door before turning to the backseat.

"I'll let Bankotsu sit up front," the fox demon offered before getting into the backseat.

The mercenary eyed the demon suspiciously before turning his attention to the front seat. He gingerly opened the door and looked around the inside of the vehicle before sliding onto the seat. He watched as Kagome got into the other front seat and strap on this long, grey belt.

"What is that?" he asked her.

"Seat belt," she told him. "You might want to put yours on, too. And close the door."

He shut the door and turned his head to look at the people in the backseat. "Does everyone wear these 'seat belts'?"

Kagome nodded and pointed out his seat belt. "It keeps us safe," she said.

As Bankotsu pulled the odd seat belt out of its holder, Kagome helped him fasten it. Then, she started the motor and pulled out onto the street.

They got Banryu to school on time. Shopping was pretty… well, interesting.

They pulled up to a department store and got out of the SUV. Shiori led the group into the store and towards the men's clothes. "What size is he in?" she asked, glancing at Kagome.

The miko froze. "Um," she answered and looked at Bankotsu.

"May I help you?" asked a sales clerk. She was a lovely woman who looked to be in her early thirties. She wore a white blouse and black skirt. The skirt hugged her rather shapely legs. She also wore black pumps and dark coloured stockings.

Kagome smiled immediately and nodded to the clerk. "Yes, actually," she said. "My fiancé is in need of some new clothes, but we don't know what size he wears."

The clerk smiled. "Give me one moment and I'll go grab a tape measure," the woman said. "I'll be right back, I promise."

They watched as the clerk walked away. Shippo whistled once the woman was out of earshot. "She was hot," he commented.

"Lech!" Shiori hissed. "If your wife knew what you said…"

Shippo chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. "Relax, relax," he said, trying to ease her steam. "There's nothing wrong with a man appreciating a beautiful woman's looks. It's not like I would ever actually pursue her anyway."

Kagome shook her head. "You're as bad as Miroku," she chided.

The miko watched Bankotsu, who was not paying attention to the conversation. Instead, he was staring at the various t-shirts and jeans around them. One shirt in particular caught his eye and he walked up to it. The shirt was black with red splashes all over it. A Ying Yang was in the center of the shirt along with two dragons, one white and one black. Bankotsu reached out a hand and touched the shirt curiously.

"Would you like that shirt?" Kagome asked, looking up at him.

The mercenary furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "It's an interesting concept," he told her. "Wisdom in unity."

The thought never occurred to the miko as she looked at the shirt as well. "It could mean unity in Order and Chaos?" she suggested.

The mercenary snorted and gave her a sideways glance. "Dragons are wise. The Ying Yang is unity. There is no chaos in this shirt, unless you mean the red splashes. That could be blood, which is chaotic. So wisdom in unity amongst chaos? That doesn't make sense."

"Alright, I'm back," the clerk interrupted, drawing Kagome and Bankotsu's attention from the shirt. "Which of these gentlemen is your fiancé?"

The mercenary frowned and opened his mouth to reply, but Kagome beat him to it, touching his arm. "He is," she said as the clerk approached them.

The clerk smiled at him. "Sir, would you mind spreading your legs just a bit? So I can measure your inseam."

Bankotsu had no idea what an "inseam" was, but he spread his legs for her in a warrior's pose. He jumped as she knelt down and brought the tape measure close to his crotch. "Uh…" he started to say, but she interjected. "Sir, if you could hold this end for me please?"

The mercenary did so, looking at Kagome. The miko nodded. "It's ok. She's just measuring you."

Nodding, the woman stood up. "Thank you, sir. Would you mind lifting your arms so I can measure your waist now?" she requested.

As he did so, he watched her wrap her arms around him momentarily and fix the tape around his waist. She nodded as she let go of one end of the tape measure so it fell. "30 x 30," she answered, looking to Kagome.

The miko clapped once and smiled. "Thank you, Satsuki-san," she said, offering the clerk her hand to shake.

Satsuki shook hands with Kagome. "You are welcome. Is there anything else I can help you with today? I noticed you were looking at that dragon shirt. We have more in the back with different styles. If you like, I could pick some out for you and bring them to you."

The miko smiled. With a glance to Shippo, she nodded. "That would be great," Kagome said. "Thank you so much."

The clerk nodded. "Of course. I will return," she said.

"We'll be around here shopping," Kagome promised.

As the lady left, Kagome and Shiori got to work picking out some clothes for Bankotsu. Of course, they had his help. "You're the one who's going to be wearing them," Kagome told him.

After about fifteen minutes or so, Satsuki returned with an armful of different dragon shirts. They picked through the shirts, finding ones that Bankotsu liked and some he didn't care for. They paid for the clothes Bankotsu had decided upon, including four pairs of jeans.

Shippo shook his head as he looked at the receipt. "You owe me big time, Kagome," he said with a sigh. "My wife is going to kill me."

The miko gave the fox demon a soft smile. "She won't kill you and you know I'm good for it," she told him.

He watched as Bankotsu and Shiori got back into the SUV. Pulling Kagome to the side, he asked, "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion.

Shippo waved a hand in Bankotsu's direction. "He's a murderer, Kagome," the fox pointed out.

"So were Koga and Inuyasha at one point."

The fox shook his head. "This is different," he quietly argued. "Bankotsu is different from them. Koga killed for food and to protect his pack. Inuyasha killed out of defense. Neither of them killed out of cold blood. Bankotsu has. More than once, I might add. As if that weren't enough, he has raped people and he's a thief. The man is bad news."

"He's changed," Kagome insisted. "Ever since our time on that mountain, Bankotsu has been different. Besides, the gods didn't give him one last chance to mess things up. They gave him this chance to make things right."

"According to whom?" Shippo hissed in a whisper. "All we know is what Bankotsu has told us. And we all know he lies. How can we trust that he was really, truly brought back by Hachiman? How do we know someone more sinister did not bring him back?"

The miko pinched her lips together for a moment before answering, "Do you honestly believe that a sinister god would bring Bankotsu back to life?"

The fox sighed as he shrugged. "I don't know, Kagome. I just… something about his story don't sit well with me. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but… I worry about you and Banryu. I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"We won't," she assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We will be fine. I promise."


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** This chapter is significant for two reasons. First, it is the first new chapter that I have published since the story was originally published in 2013 (literally exactly four years ago today, go figure. I didn't even do that one on purpose.) Secondly, this is the start for much longer chapters as I have grown as an author since. So, please, enjoy! :)

Also, if anyone is interested in beta'ing this story for me, please send me a PM. As you can see, I really need a beta. Lol

* * *

Bankotsu leaned against the door frame and folded his arms as he watched his wife bed down their son. It was a peaceful moment and he wondered how many of these moments mother and child shared. He watched as she tucked the boy in and whispered sweet words.

As she stood up and made her way to him Bankotsu straightened up, dropping his hands to his side. As she approached him he lifted a hand to gently sweep some hair out of her face. "You are such a kind and thoughtful mother, Kagome," he said softly.

She blushed a little and bowed her head. "My grandfather used to accuse me of being too kind," she told him. "To be honest, Banryu probably gets away with more things than he should."

She gently closed the door to the boy's bedroom and the couple made their way to the living room. "Well, today was rather eventful, don't you think?" he asked as he led her to the couch. "What with the clothes shopping and all."

"That reminds me," she said as she joined him. "We have to get you an ID so you can start looking for a job. We owe Shippo money for the clothes he bought today."

"Finding him a job isn't going to be easy," Shiori said as she joined them. She took a seat in one of the armchairs. "He doesn't really have a diploma or any sort of education."

Kagome frowned. "Yes, but that didn't stop Inuyasha from finding work as long as he has an ID…"

"Where would you find him a job at? I doubt he would do well at a hardware store…"

"Well, Bankotsu isn't as volatile as Inuyasha," the miko pointed out. "He has a nice personality when he wants to and he's cute enough. He might be able to get a job as a server or something in sales."

"Hey! Who are you calling volatile?" Inuyasha demanded.

Bankotsu leaned back and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I don't know anything about being a server. That's a woman's job."

The miko gave him a patient look. "Beggars can't be choosers, Bankotsu," she told him. "This is the modern age. There are many men who work in the serving industry. There's even cooks. Honestly there isn't much around that you could do. You don't really have any skills."

"I have skills," he argued.

Kagome pinched her lips. "Mercenaries don't exist anymore. In this day and age if you kill someone, you go to jail."

His eyes narrowed. "When I was a boy, my father used to let me help him with tracking the family finances. On top of that, I was often helping the servants with maintaining the manor and even helped build a few homes," he admitted. "Father had always said that a man needed to learn how to care for his family and doing these things were part of a man's job."

"I thought you hated your father?" Kagome questioned.

He shrugged. "Just because you hate someone doesn't mean you can't learn a thing or two from them," the mercenary commented. "Now that I have a wife and son it seems learning those things were pretty important."

"I can't see you being happy as a financial advisor," Shiori mused. "But something in construction might work."

"He needs a license for that," Kagome commented.

"Yeah, if he wants to be a foreman," Shiori reasoned. "But he could start off as just a regular worker and have schooling to move up the ladder." She looked at the inu hanyou. "Why didn't you ever go into construction, Inuyasha? It pays more than working at the hardware store."

"I don't have any formal education," he answered as he sat in the other armchair. "There weren't any schools in the feudal era, not like the ones they have now." He turned to the human girl. "Which is why he won't be able to get a job in construction."

Biting her bottom lip, Kagome thought for a moment. "Koga has a well-paying job, as does Shippo. And Shiori works at the hospital. There must be a way for both of you to get better jobs."

"There is," Shiori stated. "There's a registry you have to go through and paperwork that needs to be filled out. They can even set your marriage, too. Make it legal in the eyes of Japanese law."

A smirk graced Bankotsu's lips as he glanced at Inuyasha. "You don't say," he said.

The bat hanyou shrugged. "Well, technically you are married, right? So, it won't be difficult at all to turn your marriage from a feudal era one to a modern day one. Tomorrow I can bring all three of you to the Youkai Registry and we can fix all your paperwork. You'll get an ID as well as a marriage certificate and we can even see about getting you a GED to help. They may even be able to evaluate you to see what sort of job you'd be suited for and help you procure said job."

"But Bankotsu isn't a demon," Inuyasha argued.

Shiori nodded. "Yes, but he was brought back from the dead and given a second chance at life."

"Third," the canine stated. "He had a second shot and he blew it by coming after us and kidnapping Kagome."

"I only did what I was told," Bankotsu said angrily. "I'm a mercenary through and through. I was told to go after you and, in return, I would be granted life."

"You were lied to."

"I know that now," the mercenary growled. "I knew even then that we would be deceived. I had planned to follow Naraku's orders and then we would leave before he had a chance to get the shards from us. Plans changed when you began killing my comrades."

"But Inuyasha didn't kill your comrades," Kagome said. "Mukotsu was killed by Sesshomaru, I believe Kikyo had killed Suikotsu, and Koga had killed Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu."

The mercenary and two hanyous looked at her. Her brows lifted. "Didn't you know, Bankotsu?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter," he commented as he closed his eyes. "Inuyasha was the leader, therefore the responsibility falls on him."

Kagome bit her lower lip. "Sesshomaru was never led by Inuyasha. In fact, they hate each other, always have. And Koga is the leader of the wolf demon tribe, even back then. Neither had ever taken orders from Inuyasha and would have been insulted if he had tried," she explained.

"Is this really still an issue?" Shiori asked. "Naraku's been dead for a little over 500 years now, and you've been dead for longer, Bankotsu. Killed by your own greed if what Inuyasha told me last night was true."

His eyes snapped open and narrowed as he glared at her. "I may have been dead longer, but time doesn't work that way for the dead. Everything that happened seems like it only happened yesterday, so forgive me if I come off as bitter," he growled.

"It's understandable," Kagome reasoned. "There's a lot you must get used to and learn to accept. Things weren't easy for Inuyasha either when he first came here."

Bankotsu scoffed. "I'm not worried. You know I'll be able to adjust much better than that half-breed."

"I never said that you wouldn't, just that it will take time," the miko stated, looking at the mercenary. "Tomorrow will be the start of a new life for you, Bankotsu. We'll take you to the registry and get your ID card and see if they can evaluate you and help you find a job."

"Are you sure they will even help?" Inuyasha asked. "He's a human, not a demon."

"He's also over 500 years old," Shiori said. "Though he doesn't really look a day over 20 at the most, we could probably convince them to set his age to mid-twenties."

Bankotsu's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not over 500," he said. "I haven't been alive for 500 years. When I died the first time I was seventeen. When Naraku resurrected me, I was still 17 physically, even if time had passed. And I reckon that's still true now, though I've been dead for much longer."

"One thing does baffle me," Shiori questioned. "You were resurrected when you kidnapped Kagome, which means you were pretty much a walking corpse. How did you impregnate her?"

A single eyebrow lifted at that question. "I didn't think I would have to explain how a man and a woman go through the process of having a child, but if you need to know…"

Shiori quickly raised her hands in surrender. "No, no, that's not what I meant. I know how it's done physically," she interrupted his explanation. "What I meant was, being a corpse, you shouldn't have been able to produce live sperm."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "How am I supposed to know that? I didn't even believe she was pregnant at first, because you're right. I didn't think anything would come from us having sex, though we did it often enough."

Kagome blushed. "You don't have to say it like that," she scolded.

"But it's the truth. We had sex and a lot of it," he said, looking at her. "And it was good."

"You could at least say we 'made love' or 'did it'! You don't have to be so vulgar, Bankotsu," she snapped.

Without warning, he reached out and grabbed the miko and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her he buried his face in her hair before rubbing his nose against her ear. "You are my wife, Kagome," he whispered. "If I wish it, I will say whatever I want about our sex life to whomever I want. Besides, do you not see the look on your little boy toy's face right now? He is seething and there is nothing he can do about it." She didn't struggle in his arms as he lifted his head. He looked directly at the dog hanyou and growled, "It must burn you up inside, huh, half-breed? To know that Kagome is my woman and she will never be yours. We had sex last night, as I'm sure you could smell this morning, and I plan on fucking her tonight, too. If we're lucky, we might even make Banryu a brother or sister." He pressed his lips to Kagome's ear again and purred, "Wouldn't you like that, my little miko? To give Banryu a sibling that he can play with?"

"You're such a lecher, Bankotsu," she grunted as she tried to pull out of his grasp.

"Uh-uh, Kagome," he reprimanded. "You know better than to pull away from me." He released her, pushing her roughly away from him. "It seems we must work on this behavior. We've been apart for too long."

"I won't let you hurt her, Bankotsu!" Inuyasha snarled as he stood up. "You keep your filthy hands off of Kagome!"

Bankotsu just glared at the hanyou. "She's my wife," he repeated calmly. "I will put my hands anywhere on her body that I want to. However, you won't. As her husband, I forbid you to touch her, and vice versa. Remember, I'm not from this era, so I don't know what customs are and are not allowed. Back in the feudal era, however, a man did not touch another man's property, especially his wife. You'll do well to remember that."

"A woman is not property," Inuyasha argued. "And Kagome belongs to no one."

"I beg to differ. She belongs to me. She gave birth to my son and she sleeps in my bed. In fact, I think it's about time for us to head to bed now. It's late and, if what the women say is true, we have a big day tomorrow," he said as he stood up. He glanced at the miko. "Come, Kagome."

She squared her jaw and glared at him. "I'm not a dog," she stated as she folded her arms.

"Woman!" he barked. "You will obey me and you will not dishonor this family. Now, let's go!"

"I'm also not one of your men that you can just order around," she said stubbornly.

His eyes narrowed in anger. "One more chance," he growled. He pointed to the hall that led to their room. "Now!"

"Don't talk to her that way!" Inuyasha shouted as he rushed between them and pushed Bankotsu out of the way.

"Mind your own business, half-breed!" the mercenary spat as he threw a fist at the hanyou.

Kagome and Shiori both jumped up. "Guys! Don't start fighting!" the miko shouted, though her words fell on deaf ears as Inuyasha returned Bankotsu's punch with one of his own.

"This is my home!" Inuyasha growled. "Kagome and I bought it together so that it would be easier for me to help raise Banryu. Whatever happens to her in this house _is_ my business. And I'm not going to let a stinking corpse like you hurt her!"

Bankotsu punched him in the gut. "That will be changing soon," he grunted as Inuyasha punched him back. "She doesn't need you anymore. She's _my_ wife, _my_ woman, and I will be the one taking care of her and _my_ son. I won't hurt either of them. I never harmed Kagome when she was my captive and I have no intention of doing so now, but I will harm you if you interfere with my family."

"Bankotsu," Kagome said as she watched the men fight, "Inuyasha! Please stop fighting!"

"Mommy," came a small voice from the hallway. Kagome turned and saw Banryu standing there with the sword his father had bought for him.

The miko rushed to her son and picked him up, hugging him close to her. "You should be in bed," she whispered.

"Daddy and Uncle Inu are fighting," he answered softly. "Why are they fighting?"

She began walking back to his room. "They are dealing with adult things," she explained to him as she pushed open his bedroom door with her foot. "You shouldn't concern yourself with it. You should be in bed, sleeping."

"But Uncle Inu and Daddy are…"

"Listen to your mother," Bankotsu said from the door as she lay the child back in his bed.

Kagome looked up and saw the mercenary leaning against the doorframe, much like he had been earlier that night. "Good. You two stopped fighting," she breathed in relief.

He frowned. "It's not over," he told her. "You and I have much to talk about, but we'll do so in our bedroom and not in front of the kid."

She pinched her lips and gave him a nod in understanding before glancing back at her son. "Try to get some sleep," she implored. "In the morning, I'll make you some pancakes, okay? But only if you sleep tonight."

Banryu's eyes widened in excitement at the mention of pancakes. "Ok, Mommy," he said as he hugged the plastic sword and shut his eyes tightly.

She kissed his forehead and tucked him into bed. "Good night, sweetheart," she cooed. "Mommy loves you."

"'Night, Mommy!" he said, though his eyes remained squeezed shut tight.

When Kagome walked up to the door Bankotsu pushed himself off the frame and slipped a hand around her waist. "Let's go to our bedroom," he whispered.

She nodded and quietly allowed him to lead her. The moment the door was shut his hand tightened around her waist and he forced her against the wall, slipping a hand to the back of her head and fisting her hair as he kissed her harshly on the lips. "You will never question my authority again," he snarled as he released her and threw her towards the bed. "I tell you to do something and you do it. You don't just sit there and arrogantly disobey me."

He approached her and she could see the fire in his eyes and the way his brow was scrunched. He was angry. She gasped as he pushed her onto the bed. "This isn't feudal Japan," she insisted. "You can't just…"

"I don't give a damn what year it is," he spat. "You are my wife and you will obey me. Even when we disagree, you will not blatantly defy me, especially in front of others. Do you not see how embarrassing that is? How degrading? That half-breed and I never would have fought if you had simply obeyed me. It was your fault we did. You were the one who caused the scene."

"I was angry," she told him. "Inuyasha has done nothing but help me ever since he came to this era. He's helped me with Banryu and even managed to get a job and help me find a place of my own. But you have done nothing but mock him since you've come here."

"I was just resurrected!" he snarled. "You were the one who said I needed this ID to do anything. Well, when I get it, I will find a job and we will leave this place. I should be the one taking care of you, not him."

"You could at least be grateful that he has," she said. "Maybe even thank him."

"I'll thank him," he snapped. "When your stomach is swollen with my second child and we have a home of our own, I will thank him."

She frowned as he crawled onto the bed to join her. "We have a home," she commented.

He shook his head. "No, Kagome. This place belongs to that half-breed. You and I need a place we can call ours. One that belongs to us," he told her. "Where I'm not having to worry about some mutt forcing himself in between us every time we have a disagreement. Where we can actually disagree without someone interrupting us. Where we can relax and even have sex wherever we want. You don't know how badly I want to pick you up and put you on that counter in the kitchen and fuck you, but I can't do that here."

"I doubt we could do that in our own home, either," she mused. "If Banryu or our other child, if I do become pregnant, were to walk in on us…"

"Then they will get a lesson in how babies are made," he finished as he kissed her lips. "How do you think I learned? My parents used to make it a habit of having sex in front of my brother and me all the time. They even let us join them once or twice. It's all part of a son's proper upbringing from what we were told."

She made a face. "That's disgusting," she spat. "There are more appropriate ways for a child to learn about sex these days. They don't need to watch us. And I certainly don't want them to join us. I'm not a pedophile, nor do I condone the idea of incest."

His lips had traveled down her neck, but he looked up when she mentioned incest. "So, that's what they call it," he observed. "Well, it's good that you don't like the idea of them joining us because I don't like sharing, so you have nothing to worry about." He dipped his head and returned to sucking and kissing on her neck as one of his hands trailed down to her waistband and slipped under it.

She moaned as he began playing with her clit. "I'm glad," she whispered, blushing.

He sighed. "I don't like being angry with you, Kagome," he told her as he pulled on her pants to give himself more room to play with her. "As my wife, you should be glad and happy. You should want to make me happy, to do whatever you can to please me. I'll do it for you. Tomorrow I will get my ID and I will find a job. Then I will do everything I can to make you happy. All I want is the same in return. Obey my commands, be a good wife, and don't question my authority. Let me lead you."

She nodded as she arched her back. "Please…" she hissed as his finger pressed against her entrance.

"So wet for me, my little miko," he purred, "and I've barely touched you. You must have really missed me."

Her cheeks reddened as she looked at him. "Don't tease me," she whimpered. "Don't be so cruel."

He rolled off of her and propped himself up on his elbow. "I don't know, Kagome," he commented. "You seemed rather taken with that wolf at that park the other night. Tell me: has he had the chance to enjoy you? Maybe you should spend some time with him. Lord knows he likes you, may even love you."

"You shouldn't say such things."

"Or maybe that half-breed. You seem to defend him enough," he said, then his eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "I've been dead long enough. Tell me, Kagome, have you moved on with one of them?"

She sent her own glare back at him as she sat up. "Inuyasha is dating Shiori. They have been for over a year now. As for Koga, we're friends. That's all."

"But has it always been that way?" he asked. The mercenary snapped his fingers. "Oh, wait. I remember. You were so bent on that half-breed that you wouldn't give the wolf a second glance, right? So, I wouldn't doubt it if you said you never dated him. But you always wanted to be with Inuyasha. I remember days and nights of seeing you on that balcony, longingly waiting for him to come and save you. And he never did. Did you finally get the chance to date him? You've already admitted that he and that bat only recently started dating and he's been here since Banryu was born. So, did you try?"

She looked at him dubiously. "I…"

"I won't be mad," he assured her, cutting her off. "Like I said, I was dead. Neither of us had any idea that I would be resurrected a third time. So, you can be honest with me. In fact, I want you to be honest. We're married and honesty is the key to a good relationship."

She stared at a spot on the bed and sighed. "Inuyasha and I never dated," she admitted. "There were times where I thought he was going to ask me, but…" She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and glanced at him. "Koga and I did date for a little while, but that ended before it really began. I just… I couldn't get my mind straight to focus on him. I have a child and there's work, not to mention helping my mother with the shrine whenever I get the chance, I just… don't have the time."

His eyes narrowed. "You mean you never made the time," he corrected.

She pressed her lips together. "I just don't feel the same way for Koga that he does for me. I tried, but… Even in the Feudal Era our feelings for one another were different."

"I really did ruin you for all other men, didn't I?" Bankotsu asked as he lay on his back. He smirked. "Well, you don't have anything to worry about anymore," he told her as he sat up and turned on top of her again. "I'm home now."

He helped her pull off her pants and panties before releasing his cock and burying himself in her heat. They both groaned at the feel of the union.

(II)(II)

The following morning found Kagome happily wrapped up in Bankotsu's arms. She blinked her eyes opened and smiled at the feel and warmth of his strong, muscular arms. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she feared that it was all a dream. That she would wake up for real and learn that he was, in fact, still dead. But he didn't feel nearly as cold as he had when he had first abducted her.

No. He was real and he was alive. Moaning in happiness, she buried herself against him even more, basking in the feel of his life.

"Mommy! Mommy!" her young son shouted as he threw the door open and vaulted into the bedroom.

Before Kagome could protest, Banryu leapt upon the bed and right between the couple. Bankotsu's arms shot up, catching the child before he could do any serious damage to them or himself. The little boy giggled until he saw the look on his father's face. Bankotsu threw the child onto the bed between the couple and glared down at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the mercenary demanded angrily.

He was used to people yelling at him, but there was something different about this. Banryu glanced at his mother, his eyes watering as he looked for her guidance. She gave him a sympathetic look, but he could tell that she wasn't going to say anything. He turned back to his father. "I just… It's time to get up, Daddy…"

"I don't ever want to see you barge into our room like that again. Do you understand me? Just because it's morning does not mean we have to get up right away and you won't interrupt us," Bankotsu reprimanded. "You are a warrior and, as such, you must be more disciplined than that."

"Bankotsu, he's just a boy," Kagome said as she wrapped the blanket around herself. "And he's right to wake us. It's nearly 6 o'clock and we have to make sure he gets to school on time. Not to mention, we have a lot of things to do today." She looked at the child. "Go take a shower and get ready for school, Banryu. Your father and I will get up and I'll make you some breakfast."

As the boy hopped off the bed and turned to leave, Bankotsu snapped, "Stop!" The mercenary's eyes narrowed at Kagome. "You've undermined me again, wench. I did not dismiss him and I am not finished talking to him."

Kagome sighed. "He doesn't understand…"

"Then I will make him understand!" he snarled. "Banryu, get over here!"

Clearly terrified, the child bowed his head and moved towards the bed. Bankotsu glared at him. "Stand up straight," he barked. "And don't bow your head. You're not a girl."

Bankotsu threw off the covers and stood in front of his son as Banryu squared his shoulders and looked up at his father. That was when Kagome realized he was still naked. She gasped and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when he shot her a look.

"Never barge into a room," he told his son as he turned his attention to the boy. Clasping his hands behind his back, Bankotsu began pacing in front of Banryu. "If I had been armed, you would have been dead. Do you understand that? A warrior must be always vigilant, always respectful, especially towards those you know are more powerful than you. Now, is there anything you wish to say?"

Banryu swallowed and gave a small nod. "I-I'm sorry, Daddy," he said in a small voice.

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Consider yourself lucky, my son. It is not my mission in life to be like my own father. If I had done what you did, I would have been skinned alive," he told the boy. "Now, go do what your mother asked and meet us in the common room to eat."

Kagome bit her bottom lip when Banryu's face scrunched up in confusion. He glanced at Kagome and she gave him a soft smile. "He means the dining room," she offered, answering the boy's unasked question.

He gave a single nod and swiftly left the room. Bankotsu turned his attention back to his wife. "Do you know how demeaning it is when you ignore my orders and replace them with your own? How disrespectful?"

"Banryu is a child," she replied. "He just turned seven years old. He knows nothing of life from the Feudal Era, except the few things Inuyasha has told him."

"That does not give him an excuse to come into this room unannounced and act like a spoiled child!" he argued. "And it does not give you an excuse to dismiss him when I am in the middle of disciplining him. I am his father. I'm not that half-breed mutt that's been a part of his life since his birth. He needs to learn to respect me and respect my authority, but he will do neither if you consistently disregard me."

She sighed. "I wasn't trying to disregard you, or even disrespect you," she explained. "This isn't the Feudal Era anymore. We're not training warriors or going off into battle, especially not at seven years old."

"When do you think I started training?" he asked. "Even if he never sees a battlefield, there are other types of battles he will face in life. He needs to learn to be strong and disciplined. He needs to build character and learn how to handle life's hardships. He needs to learn respect, too."

Kagome bit her lower lip. "In a lot of ways, you're right."

"In all the ways, I am right," he revised. Approaching her, Bankotsu lay his hands on either side of her waist. "This is our family, miko. That is my son. I want him to be proud, strong, and confident. Just trust me. We may be in a different time period than what I grew up and lived in before, but I doubt the world has changed that much. I know what I'm doing."

(III)(III)

After the round of pancakes, Kagome and Bankotsu brought their son to school and met up with Shiori and Inuyasha at a nearby café. "So, where is this place?" Kagome asked before taking a sip of her tea.

"If I remember right, it is in downtown Tokyo. I haven't been there in ages, though," Shiori said. "Once you've been registered and have a job and plan, they don't really check up on you."

The miko nodded. "Do they help demons in need as well?"

"Sure, they do, but only so much. Young orphans are sent to a special orphanage specifically for demon children, and there's a shelter for those demons who haven't a home yet. You can get a warm meal and a place to rest, but they only allow you to stay for so long. Many demon orphans are sent to live in foster homes if they aren't adopted within a certain amount of time. And any demon who seeks shelter or refuge must actively be pursuing an education and/or career. Once a child reaches puberty, they, too, must find some sort of career," the bat hanyou explained. "Inuyasha actually has an advantage because he doesn't really need a license or education as he already has his GED. Of course, the I.F.A.D. can change his GED into an actual diploma which could help him find a better job."

"I'm sorry. I.F.A.D.?" Kagome asked.

Shiori blushed and touched her lips to hide a giggle. "Yes. My apologies. The I.F.A.D., or International Federation for the Advancement of Demons, is the governmental body of demons here in Japan. They're scattered throughout the world as well."

"How exactly is this so-called federation for demons supposed to help me? I'm a human, not a demon," Bankotsu pointed out as he leaned back in his chair. He had been watching the people around them, taking note of the different races and attires. Japan wasn't the place he remembered.

The hanyou dipped her head. "You may be a human, but you're a human from the past," she reasoned. "At the very least, the council will be interested in you and may decide to help you out of sheer curiosity."

"And if they don't?"

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Then we'll find another way," she told him. Purple eyes met cobalt as she stated, "I don't see why they wouldn't, though. You're a mercenary from Feudal Japan who was resurrected and is married to a miko. Yours is a very unlikely union and just those few facts should be enough to spark some interest in you. That you were the leader of the Band of Seven… I'm sure there is a place for you among the demon military units or even within the human military branch. And if not there, then somewhere."

Kagome pinched her lips. "Are we sure we want him placed somewhere where he can kill again?"

Bankotsu snorted. "You act like that's never going to happen. What's wrong, Kagome? Worried about getting your kimono dirty?" he huffed with a smirk. "I'm not too thrilled about joining someone's army, though, but I live for bloodshed."

"I don't think Hachiman brought you back so you could kill again," Kagome said with a slight moan.

He scoffed. "I don't know why he brought me back. He never told me," he said. "But I do know that he knew who I was. Who I am. So, there's no telling. I have no doubt he'll give me instructions when he's ready."

"Which reminds me," Shiori said as she set her cup down. "I know this is a touchy subject for you, Bankotsu, but we are going to need a family name for you. During the Feudal Era, we could get away with not having one, but not anymore. You need a family name to get a license and even a job."

He stared at her for a moment and Kagome feared he would argue with her. "Shimazu," he finally replied, not taking his eyes off the hanyou.

Kagome's eyes widened. "I know that name!" she gasped. "You're actually related to them?"

Bankotsu glanced at the young miko and lifted an eyebrow. "Actually, probably not to the family you are thinking of," he admitted. "But you three are hellbent on a family name, so why not? It's not like anyone would be able to learn the truth. I lived 500 years ago. Any relation to any person alive today would be null and void. I couldn't prove it anyway. However, back then, my father was the third son of the family and a warrior in his own right."

"But the manor…"

"For the hundredth time, it didn't belong to me," he told her. "It had been given to my father by his brother when the man had grown bored of it and then my father had given it to my brother. It never belonged to me."

"But your brother had abandoned it," Kagome pointed out. "So, that made it, rightfully, yours."

He shook his head. "I died before he had abandoned it. So, rightfully, it had belonged to his eldest son, not to me. Even if I had lived, the moment his wife started popping out babies, any claim I could have had on it was gone," he explained. "It wasn't mine and I would not have wanted it anyway."

"You were the second son?" Shiori asked.

Bankotsu's eyes shifted to hers again. "Second son of the third son," he said, his eyes shooting to the dog hanyou who sat next to her. "Although, I did share both parents with my older brother, so there was no conflict in that regard."

Inuyasha huffed. "I bet your parents were really proud of you when they learned you were a murderer for hire," he grunted.

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned, glaring at him.

Bankotsu pushed his chair back and stood. "I wouldn't know. I was gone before they ever had a chance to learn that I was a mercenary," he commented as he rolled his shoulders. "But it's kind of moot point now, isn't it? They're dead and I'm alive. Now, where is this place at so we can get this done?" He glanced back at Shiori.

(IV)(IV)

The building they approached looked like any other office building in downtown Tokyo. It was a busy day and there were guards standing at the entrance. Straightening her stance, Shiori put her shoulders back and walked confidently up to the revolving doors. "Follow me and stay close," she whispered out the corner of her mouth.

Kagome clasped onto Bankotsu's arm as she looked at the two guards. "They're demons," she breathed, her eyes widening.

"Don't sound so surprised," the mercenary replied as they followed Shiori into the building. "I wouldn't doubt it if every person who worked here was a demon."

"Or half-demon," the bat hanyou said as she led them to the front desk. "Or the human parent of a half-demon."

Standing behind the desk was a highly-sophisticated woman wearing a pin-striped black suit and her black hair pulled back in a tight bun. Her yellow eyes stared at a computer screen as her fingers flew over the keyboard. "May I help you?" she asked.

Shiori nodded. "We would like to find the registry office, please?" she requested.

"Second floor, take a left, and it's four doors down to the right. You can't miss it," the receptionist answered without looking up.

Shiori glanced at her companions before heading to the elevator. Inuyasha pressed the button to indicate "up" and they waited while Bankotsu glanced at their surroundings. It was a strange place to him, for it seemed to be rather empty. There was a sliding door on either side of the small hallway and another hallway perpendicular to the one they were in. The air smelled clean, for the most part, and there was some type of odd plant in a pot next to one of the doors. Glancing up, he saw a needle in glass moving downward. A loud bell sounded, and the door to their right opened.

"What sorcery is this?!" the mercenary snarled as he threw a protective arm around Kagome's waist and proceeded to try to push her behind him.

The women giggled as Inuyasha growled. "It's just an elevator," Kagome explained. "It's not sorcery at all. This is the quickest way to get from one floor to another without having to climb any stairs."

"It's how people travel in the modern era," Shiori added as she stepped into the tiny room.

Kagome moved around the mercenary as Inuyasha followed the bat hanyou into the room. "It'll be alright," the miko assured Bankotsu. "I promise."

His eyes narrowed, but he allowed her to pull him into the room. "This better not be a trap," he warned as Shiori pushed the button that born the letter "2".

The miko gave him a soft smile. "It's not," she said as the elevator began moving.

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed as he looked around, but there really wasn't anything to see. Then, just as quickly as it had started, the elevator stopped moving, the bell chimed again, and the door opened. The mercenary followed the others out of the elevator and took in his surroundings. What had been an empty hallway was now a bustling lobby area.

This confused the young man as Kagome urged him to follow the two hanyous down another hall. It didn't take long for the small group to walk up to yet another door which Inuyasha opened and held open for them. To Bankotsu's surprise, they were in a much larger room. One that seemed almost as busy as the one they had just left. There was another receptionist desk on the opposite end of the room and three females stood behind it. In the middle of the room there was a roped walk way that resembled a sort of snake with various demons lined up inside it.

"Oh, good," Shiori commented with a smile. "It's not as busy."

"Not as busy?" Inuyasha demanded. "This is going to take forever."

"Maybe I should call my mother to see if she would be willing to pick up Banryu if we're not done in time," Kagome mused aloud.

Shiori glanced at the miko. "That might be a good idea," she suggested.

The miko nodded as she pulled out her cellphone. The group moved into the line as Bankotsu continued to take in his surroundings. Some of the demons, he noted, weren't completely concealed and had tails or other obvious demon appendages. There was everything from different types of lizards, mammals, and even birds. No one physically fought with one another, though there were a few verbal disagreements that the mercenary could hear.

When it was finally their turn, Shiori did the talking, requesting registration papers for both Inuyasha and Bankotsu, though she didn't mention their names. The female demon who was waiting on them, a panther demon from what Bankotsu could tell, looked at the two men carefully. She pointed a pen at Bankotsu. "He's not a demon," she stated. "He's not even a half-demon."

Shiori glanced at Bankotsu briefly before turning back to the panther. "Hai, but he was recently resurrected," she explained.

Bankotsu's attention turned to the panther demon and they eyed one another. "If he's not a demon, then…"

"Please," Kagome interrupted, drawing the demon's attention, "you have to help us. He died back during the Feudal Era. There's no record of him here and if we go to the Japanese government, they'll want to put him in the psychiatric ward or worse."

The demon raised an eyebrow and looked back at Bankotsu. "The tattoo on your forehead," she commented. "How did you get it?"

"One of my old comrades was good with making tattoos and we each got one unique to who we were," Bankotsu answered.

"Was it your attempt to mock demons?"

"No," he said with a smirk. "It was our attempt to strike fear in the hearts of our enemies. Those who stood against us would see the marks and cower. We did not care if the enemy was human or demon."

The other two receptionists turned their attentions to the human man. "The Feudal Era you say? And who are you?" the demon to the right asked. She was a petite raccoon dog demon and she stared at him anxiously.

"I'm Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven," he announced, standing proud, with his hands by his sides.

Silence filled the air as there was a collective gasp. Then, seemingly all at once, whispers started circulating the room as demons questioned the truth of his words and fears the Band of Seven had returned to the living.

Bankotsu's smirk widened as he glared at the raccoon dog maliciously. "You have nothing to worry about," he assured her. "Of my brethren, I am the only one to have been resurrected."

The raccoon dog glanced at the other three and gasped as her eyes landed on the dog hanyou. "You're Inuyasha!" she whispered, touching her fingertips to her lips in surprise.

"Dramatic much?" Inuyasha growled. "If you know who we are then let's move this along. We still have a lot to do today and you're wasting our time."

That snapped the women into movement as the panther grabbed the phone in front of her and dialed a number. "Hai. Of course," she said hurriedly. "Taisho-sama will want to see you right away."

Inuyasha's brows furrowed in confusion. "Taisho-sama?" he asked as he could hear another voice answer the phone.

"This is the office of Taisho-sama, how may I help you?" a female voice came from the earpiece.

The panther nodded. "Hai, hai," she said quickly. "There is someone here to see Taisho-sama. Someone I believe he would very much like to see."

"Taisho-sama is a very busy man," the voice on the other end said in annoyance. "Who could possibly be so important for him to see?"

"Inuyasha." It wasn't the voice on the other end of the phone, nor was it the panther's voice that spoke. This voice was much deeper and very much masculine.

Almost as one, the small group turned and looked towards a door to the far right. He was dressed in a three-piece business suit. His white hair was pulled back in a long braid that disappeared behind his back. A huge, thick, white sash of fur sat over his right shoulder, with the tail end of it brushing the floor.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled, glaring at his older brother.


	6. Chapter 5

"How is it that you are here?" the dog demon asked, his eyes narrowed. "It's been five hundred years since anyone has seen or heard from you. I thought surely you had died."

"As if!" Inuyasha barked.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, touching his shoulder. She turned back to the dog demon. "Is there somewhere we can go so we could speak in private?" she implored. "We will explain everything to you, but not here."

His eyes narrowed even more as Sesshomaru glared at the miko. "You should have died long ago," he stated. He glanced quickly at Bankotsu before looking at Kagome again. "Both of you."

She grimaced. "Please, Sesshomaru?" she asked again.

He turned away from them. "We will discuss this in my office. And then I will determine whether or not I should correct the mistake that's clearly been made here."

(II)(II)

It did not surprise Kagome how simplistic Sesshomaru's office was. Deep mahogany furniture with a few potted plants set in strategic spots. Sesshomaru was arrogant, but he wasn't really narcissistic, or at least not as narcissistic as some men of power. And he had power. That much was blatantly clear.

Kagome sat poised in one of the regal chairs in front of his desk and folded her hands in her lap. Shiori took the seat next to her while Bankotsu and Inuyasha stood behind them. The miko kept her chin up as her eyes followed the daiyoukai as he moved behind the desk and sat in the large chair. He looked as regal as a king in his castle.

"Your office looks amazing," Kagome said, glancing around. Her eyes fixed on a sword that was mounted on the wall to Sesshomaru's right. "Is that the Tenseiga?"

"Do not waste my time, miko, with pleasantries," he softly growled. "You wished to speak to me. I want to know how it is that you and that human are here with my brother when all three of you should have been dead. So, speak."

She frowned. "I was just trying to be polite," she argued. "You don't have to be so rude."

Sesshomaru said nothing, merely stared at her. Taking a big breath, Kagome sighed. "Right. I forgot that you weren't one for small talk," she commented. "There is something that you don't know about what went on while I was there in the past…"

She looked up at Inuyasha, unsure for a moment of how much to divulge. Biting her bottom lip, she turned back to the daiyoukai, realizing his eyes never left her. "My grandfather owned a shrine," she told him simply, "here in Tokyo. Within the shrine rests the Bone Eaters Well and the Sacred Tree of Ages, the same one Inuyasha had been sealed to over five hundred years ago. On my fifteenth birthday, I had fallen into the well and was transported to the Feudal Era due to the Sacred Jewel being within my body." She tore her eyes away from his, looking down at her hands. "Later I learned that I could travel between the two eras at will through the well. It was helpful as I was the one who had caused the Jewel to burst into so many pieces and spread across Feudal Japan. I felt it was my responsibility to collect them and put the Jewel back together, since I was the one who broke it."

She glanced back up at him. "I was also the one who broke the spell that had kept Inuyasha sealed to that tree for fifty years. For some reason, he was able to pass through the well also and he often did so to retrieve me after I had come back to this time period for a break and to go to school. After Naraku had been defeated, I returned here to care for my son. The well had then sealed itself and I was unable to return to the Feudal Era. Soon after, it had opened up to bring Inuyasha here and sealed itself once more. That was about seven years ago," she explained. "A couple of days ago we had brought my son to Disneyland to celebrate his seventh birthday when we were reunited with Bankotsu, my son's father."

At this confession, Sesshomaru's eyes snapped up to Bankotsu. "You were a walking corpse when you and your band had been resurrected. How did you manage to produce a child?"

Bankotsu scoffed. "When you figure that out, I'd be delighted to know," he stated. "My only intention was to make the half-breed suffer. To pay him back for killing my men. Kagome becoming pregnant was just icing on the cake for me. I never expected to become married or even to produce an heir, but it happened."

"And this second resurrection?"

The mercenary's eyes narrowed as he replied, "I'm not exactly certain why I was resurrected this time around. I just know that this god named Hachiman had come to my grave and brought me to this time. Told me to seek out my family and have a life with them. I doubt his intentions were strictly noble, but I'll learn what he wants eventually."

Sesshomaru's eyes shifted to his younger brother. "Have you the proper documentations to successfully live among the humans without interference?" he asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I get by," he replied. "I have a job and a GED. Kagome's mom also helped me to get a driver's license. I never needed your help and never wanted it."

"And yet here you are," the daiyoukai stated, giving his brother a blank look.

The hanyou took a fighting stance. "Hey! I'm not here for your charity. The only reason I came was because Kagome and Shiori asked me to," he shouted.

"Because you are not happy at the job you have," Shiori commented softly. "You don't mind helping people, but working in retail just isn't what you should be doing." She turned to Sesshomaru. "He has so much potential, but he wastes it. Surely you know of what I speak. He is the son of the great dog demon and yet he works at a home improvement store stocking merchandise and helping people to their cars. He receives no benefits and his paycheck is a joke. He's your brother. Surely there is something that you can do to get him into something better."

"Who are you?" the daiyoukai asked, glaring at the woman.

She held her head up high. "I am Shiori of the bat youkai, the daughter of the late Tsukuyomaru and the late Shizu. My father was the Guardian of the Demon Bat Barrier, a rite that I had inherited upon his death until the barrier was destroyed when I was a child. "

"I remember Tsukuyomaru," Sesshomaru said. "I had heard he had lost his life in some type of battle. I never knew he had had a child. You are a half-demon, are you not?"

"Hai," she answered. "My mother was a maiden who lived in the village nearby the clan. When my father was alive he protected the village from the bat clan's attacks. Shortly after he died, my grandfather agreed to continue the protection if my mother handed me over to him. I was to be the next Guardian, you see? But Grandfather went back on his word and attempted to not just kill my mother, but destroy the village as well. Is was during this time that I had learned, through his own confession, that my grandfather had killed my father."

Sesshomaru gave a slight nod. "It was the common practice during that time for proud clan leaders to attempt to get rid of anyone who professed love for humans," he admitted. "In fact, most of the time, if the demon wasn't slain by his own clan members he was usually exorcised by humans. My own father received such a fate."

"He would have survived if he hadn't been fighting that other demon beforehand," Inuyasha spat as he folded his arms. "And that wasn't even a clan member."

Again, Sesshomaru did not argue. "Indeed. Many demons sought after our father to gain power," he said. "Had I the chance, even I would have fought him."

"So, you won't help us?" Shiori asked, trying to stay on her original topic.

For a moment, the daiyoukai said nothing, but simply stared at the bat hanyou. Finally, he said, "In the registration office, they can evaluate Inuyasha and determine the best place for him. If there is any additional training that needs to be done, they will provide for that as well."

"And what about Bankotsu?" Kagome interrupted. "He can't go to any human resources place to receive any sort of certification. He hasn't been alive for five hundred years and humans don't buy into the idea of resurrection. If we were to take him to such a place, he'll be sent to a psychiatric ward or worse."

"This isn't the place for humans," Sesshomaru answered. "If your mother helped Inuyasha, then I'm sure she could extend the same curtesy for your lover."

Kagome's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. "Fine," she said as she stood up. "Fine. You're right. My mother helped Inuyasha, she can help Bankotsu as well. And now that we have a family name for him to go by, that will make things easier." She turned and looked at the mercenary, who was staring at her with a single eyebrow raised. "Let's go. You and I have much to do and we're wasting time being here." Glancing at the hanyous over her shoulder, she added, "We'll see you both at home."

At the door, she paused once more and turned to look at the daiyoukai. "Sesshomaru, I do have one final question to ask," she said softly. "What ended up happening to Rin?"

He was silent for a moment as he stared at her. Then, seeming to come to a conclusion, he responded, "She lived long enough to see her grandchildren. Curious lifespan for a human during that era."

She smiled. "That makes me happy."

(III)(III)

She glanced back at Bankotsu as she stepped up to the door. He gazed back at her curiously. "Tell me, my little miko, why did we not come here to begin with? Wouldn't it have saved us the time we wasted with those demons?"

"I had thought that they could help you get a better job," she explained. "To be honest, there's a reason Inuyasha never got a higher paying job than the one he has. Humans don't really understand the concept of time the same way demons do. Nor do they fully grasp the concept that any person could live beyond the normal lifespan of humans. When we brought him to get him registered to the city, we decided to leave out the fact that he carried any type of demon blood, even if it were only half. That alone would have been enough to get us all committed and my grandfather would have lost the shrine that we all hold so dear."

It was her turn to lead as they traversed through the front gardens and entered into the house. "Mom? Sota?" Kagome called as she slipped off her shoes. She glanced at Bankotsu and watched as he did the same. "Mom?" she called again, walking towards the kitchen. "Sota?"

Bankotsu glanced around the home, taking in the soft tones and feng shuay feel to the room. As the young man perused the area, his eyes fell upon an older woman standing in the doorway. The woman smiled. "Kagome," she greeted softly and accepted the miko's hug. "Are you going to introduce me to this fine young man?"

The young woman turned to look at the mercenary and smiled. "Mom, this is Bankotsu," she said, "Banryu's birth father."

The woman gave her daughter a puzzled look. "I thought Banryu's father was a human from the Feudal Era?"

Kagome nodded as Bankotsu bowed respectfully. "I was given another chance at life, my lady," he said as he stood up straight. "To care for my wife and young child and give them the life they both deserve."

Kagome's mother frowned slightly. "Another chance? I wasn't aware such chances were given," she stated, staring at him.

"Hai," he agreed. "Hachimann seemed to take a liking to me for whatever reason and brought me back."

"Hachimann," the woman echoed, clearly mystified. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. Sighed, she shook her head and said, "You have been blessed with a truly rare and special gift, Bankotsu." Opening her eyes again, she looked at him, and it was the first time in Kagome's memory that her mother had ever had such a shrewd look in her eyes. "You do intend to provide my daughter and grandson what this god has told you, right? You'll marry Kagome properly and give her and Banryu a home and a life?"

Kagome made a face. "That's where we're running into a snag," she admitted. When her mother glanced at her, the miko elaborated, "Bankotsu needs papers, a license, proof that he has an education. Same that Inuyasha did when he first came here. Also, we can't have an actual ceremony or even draw up a marriage license without those things."

Her mother glanced at the clock on the wall. "Sota is at school and had told me he intended to go to a friend's house after to study. I can bring you where you need to go, but I would like it if you stayed for supper," she suggested with a smile. "We could pick Banryu up once he gets out of school, if you like."

Kagome's face lit up with a smile as she nodded. "Thanks, Mom! You're the best," she preened as she hugged her mother again.

Mrs. Higurashi stared at Bankotsu again. "Even if I didn't know you were Banryu's father, there would be no doubt," she stated as she approached the mercenary. "You look just like him. Even down to your eyes." She glanced at her daughter. "The resemblance is uncanny."

The young miko gazed lovingly at the mercenary, and in turn, Bankotsu flashed a cocky smirk. "I appreciate the compliment, my lady," he said.

"Well, looking like your son is hardly a compliment," the older woman mused. "Though, I will admit that Banryu is handsome, so, in that sense, hai. However, there has been rumours about how Banryu came to be. Mostly involving abduction and rape?" She looked to her daughter who had lost her smile.

"Rumours are just that," Bankotsu commented before Kagome said anything. "While I will admit that Kagome and I had a pretty rough start in our relationship, it did blossom into something far more true. We are loyal to one another and we were so before I had died."

The miko grimaced. "That's just it, though," she explained. "Bankotsu knew he was going to die. See…" She hated the idea of lying to her mother, but she also did not want to divulge the full nature of her and Bankotsu's relationship. "To be honest, Bankotsu had kidnapped me. There was a plot by the demon that Inuyasha and I had eventually slain, one in which Bankotsu and his men were supposed to kill Inuyasha and me. Naraku had offered Bankotsu and his men eternal life for our heads, but we were much stronger than they had thought. Bankotsu had ended up losing four of his men in the process and blamed Inuyasha for it. Long story short, he and his remaining brethren kidnapped me to taunt Inuyasha and pay him back for the slight they believed he had done. But during my stay in captivity, things began to develop between Bankotsu and myself. We talked a lot and spent a lot of time together. Though he was my captor, I had begun to have feelings for him and I believe he started to feel the same way."

"You say he knew he was going to die?" her mother inquired, glancing at the mercenary. "How?"

"Because I was already dead," he answered as his face hardened. "Years before I met Kagome, my men and I were a band of mercenaries called 'The Band of Seven'. We travelled all through Japan offering our services up to the highest bidder. Some lord in one village grew fearful of us and believed that we had become too powerful. So, he sent us on some bogus mission and when we returned, he had gathered all the lords in the neighbouring kingdoms and they sentenced my men and me to death. We were all beheaded." He heard the woman gasp. "Nearly thirteen years later, Naraku approached me at my grave, much like Hachimann has done recently, and offered my men and I eternal life in exchange for the deaths of Inuyasha and his little group." He scoffed and added, "He had used Sacred Jewel Shards to bring us back from the grave and I soon learned that he had been collecting the shards in the hopes of putting the jewel back together. In order for him to complete it, he would need the shards that he had given my brethren and I, so I knew it was only a matter of time before he turned on us to take back the shards. I had already begun concocting a plan to destroy Naraku once the job was done, but then Inuyasha killed my men, so I knew I had to avenge their deaths first. The plan was to kidnap Kagome and then kill her and mount her head on a spike for Inuyasha to find, but I couldn't." He looked away from the women for a moment before glancing at Kagome. "You were so beautiful and your beauty has only grown with age."

His eyes lingered on hers for a moment and then shifted to the older woman. "I have killed more than my fair share of humans and demons alike. In my first life, I was the youngest son of a samurai lord and everything revolved around training. When I left my village to strike out on my own, I didn't stop training. I didn't care if they were human or demon, so long as they were strong, I would challenge them to a fight to the death. When I was resurrected the first time, it was more about getting the job done and I had wanted to make sure I was strong enough for when I would have to take on Naraku, especially when I learned that Kagome was pregnant. I wanted to be there to see my son born, to hold him in my arms. I wanted to have a proper wedding to Kagome, maybe even had her monk friend preside over it."

"And now you've been resurrected again," Mrs. Higurashi stated. She tilted her head slightly. "What do you plan to do this time?"

The corners of his lips lifted a touch in a soft smile. "Well, once I gain these papers that Kagome insists that I have, I wish to make her a proper wife for starters," he answered. His smile vanished. "I will also gain work doing… well, something. Hopefully it will be enough to buy some land and build a home for my wife and child, maybe add another child or two to the mix." He threw the miko a smirk. As he became serious once more, he sighed and glanced at the matronly woman. "When the Band of Seven was alive and well, they were my family, my life. I would have done anything for them. In fact, I had done so. Now, Kagome and Banryu are my family and my life. And, I suppose, on that thread, so are you."

"And Sota," Kagome added, earning a perplexed look from Bankotsu. She elaborated, "My younger brother." He nodded his understanding.

He rolled his shoulders back and turned towards the door. "Shall we get going then? We've already wasted enough time at that demon hole."

Kagome and her mother both happily agreed.

(IV)(IV)

It was late in the evening by the time Kagome fell onto their bed. It had ended up being quite an exhausting day. She stretched out across the bed and regarded Bankotsu with lazy eyes. "We still have some more things to do," she told him as she watched him cross the room and pull his shirt over his head to toss onto a chair. "I have to go to work tomorrow. These past few days were part of a small vacation I had taken so I could bring Banryu to Disneyworld."

He pivoted on his heel and she sat up, leaning on one arm. "Why are you working?" he asked, folding his arms.

She frowned. "Well, someone has to provide for Banryu. Inuyasha already does far more than he should."

His eyes narrowed. "Tomorrow I will find work and you will quit yours," he said. "I won't have my wife doing manual labour like some peasant."

"I can't just quit. I'd have to at least give them a two weeks' notice, otherwise it would be a strike against my character if I ever decided to get another job," she explained patiently.

Bankotsu folded his arms. "You won't have to worry about it," he reaffirmed, "because you won't be getting another job. Perhaps you didn't understand me. You are my wife and I won't have you working, Ever."

"Besides," she interrupted, getting a little irritated, "any job you get you'll still have to wait at least two weeks before you get a paycheck. We still need the money I make in order for us to survive until you begin earning money and I still have to pay Shippo and Shiori back for the money they loaned us to buy you clothes."

"Heh," he scoffed. "I never asked them to buy me clothes."

"Well, what were you planning to do? You can't wear the same clothes every day and I don't get paid until Friday," she snapped. She sighed as her eyes fell to the bed. "This isn't the Feudal Era anymore."

When she felt the bed compress, she glanced up to see Bankotsu sitting on the opposite end of the bed. He looked at her curiously. "You've been repeating that all day," he commented. "I know this isn't the Feudal Era anymore, so I don't need to be reminded constantly. Or maybe you're reminding yourself? You know that I don't really know anything of this new era aside from the few things you've told me, back at the manor and since I've been here. You still haven't told me what became of my companion."

"Your companion?" she questioned.

He inclined his head slightly. "Yes, my halberd. While I appreciate that you chose to name our son after it, I would still like to know what happened to it. Where is it?"

She shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. "It was destroyed when Inuyasha had hit it with the Backlash Wave. The pieces of it became buried when that mountain was demolished," she replied, hanging her head again. "I had forgotten for a moment that you used to also call it your companion, however, when Banryu was born, I couldn't think of a better name." She glanced at him again. "He really is so much like you, not just in looks, but in everything."

Bankotsu pulled his feet up onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard. "That doesn't surprise me," he stated haughtily. "He is my son, after all. He comes from a long line of warriors who take pride in what we do."

She frowned. "That reminds me," she said as she turned towards him. "You never told me your father was a samurai lord."

He scoffed. "I don't really talk about him much," he commented, looking away. "I've already told you much about my past, but I do my best to leave that bit out. I never cared for the samurai and I didn't want to join them."

"As much as you enjoyed fighting…"

"I refuse to take orders from a samurai," he growled venomously.

She sighed. "Rest easy, Bankotsu," she soothed. "There are no more samurai. We do have military, of course, to protect us from other countries and to help govern our people, but they aren't like the samurai."

He looked warily at her. "And yet the people at that place recognized my family name," he pointed out. "You did, too, if I recall."

She gave him a soft smile. "Of course, but that is only from memory. Carrying a sword is actually illegal in Japan now, though many keep them mounted on their walls as trophies, much like how Sesshomaru had Tensaiga on his wall and how Inuyasha keeps Tetsusaiga. But no one actually uses them," she explained. "And while the spirit of the samurai is still alive, mostly in our culture and entertainment. There are re-enactments of battles and movies dedicated to the samurai or that feature the samurai."

"Movies?" he inquired.

Her smile broadened. "I'll have to see what's playing right now, but maybe I can take you to a movie tomorrow evening after work. We'll have a date," she said with a small giggle. "Maybe even go to a restaurant and get something to eat beforehand."

He watched her, amazed by the look of wonder her eyes had gotten. "A date," he stated.

She nodded happily. "Well, we did manage to file for a marriage license, so…" She bit her bottom lip. "When we first met, you had kidnapped me to try to get back at Inuyasha. And then you died. Since you've been back… I would like to spend a little time together as a married couple. Maybe even court a bit."

"Isn't that what we did at the manor?" he asked. "We were courting. And we spend plenty of time together."

Her smile faltered as she became crestfallen. "Yeah, but…"

"Besides, I still need to find work and you need to let your job know that you won't be working there anymore," he told her. "Don't think that I've forgotten. You're my wife and now that I'm here, you can go back to being a proper wife, which include cooking, cleaning, and bearing my children. Banryu is a cute kid, but I don't want him to be our only child."

"This isn't…"

"If you say 'this isn't the Feudal Era' one more time…" he snarled as he glared at her. "Not everything has change in 500 years. You're still my wife and you still have certain duties that you have to perform as such."

"Yes, but cooking and cleaning aren't limited to just a wife's duty anymore," she insisted.

Being dead for five hundred years did nothing to change Bankotsu's reflexes. In a flash, he had her pinned down on the bed, a hand on her throat as he glared at her. "It seems I have to remind you of your place, wench," he growled. "Did you learn nothing during our time in that manor?"

She struggled against him, her hands going to his hand around her neck as he began to squeeze. "Bankotsu," she gasped, "please, you're hurting me."

"You will submit to me," he warned, ignoring the way she was clawing at him. "Say it!" he hissed.

She grabbed at his hand even more. "Bankotsu," she whispered desperately.

"Say it," he snapped forcefully.

"I will," she gasped, "I su-submit… Please!"

He let go of her throat and grabbed her hands to move them about her head. "Good girl," he praised with a smirk as he worked on the buttons and zipper of his pants.

Freeing his cock from his pants, he fumbled with her clothes. He growled again as he looked down. "You'll wear more appropriate clothing," he ordered. "No more men's clothing. I need access to you."

She thrashed again as he fought with her clothing with one hand. "If you let my hands go, I can help you," she told him.

He glared up at her. "We've played this game before," he said. "Do you really think I'm that dumb to fall for that trick again? Lift your hips."

She did so, as much as she could with him pinning her down. She didn't bother to ask him to move a bit as she knew that would only anger him more. After a bit of struggle, he managed to remove her pants, pushed her panties to the side, and entered her.

The moment reminded her of when she had first been kidnapped, those first two months in that manor. There was no love in the way he took her, no love in the look of his eyes. It was sheer dominance and power and she felt fear for the first time in a long time.

"Bankotsu…"

"Shut up!" he snapped. "Listen and listen well, miko," he growled, accented each word with a thrust of his hips. "You. Are. Mine. You will always submit and always follow my lead. Your children will be my children and you will perform the duties of my wife gratefully. Do you understand?"

She arched her back as he pounded into her. Tears filled her eyes, but she pushed them back. In so many ways, he was right. She was his, whether she wanted to be or not. He was her devilish drug and she was addicted to him. "Bankotsu, please," she begged as she tried to move herself closer to him.

The moment he moved into a more comfortable position, situating himself between her legs, she wrapped her legs around his waist. She didn't know when he had released her hands, but it didn't matter for they were buried in his hair as her mouth met his in a deep, searing kiss.

"I want to hear you scream," he growled as he grabbed her hips and pushed even deeper and harder into her.

Obeying him was her only option, especially if she wished to reach nirvana and she so desperately did. Throwing her head back into the pillows, she writhed and screamed as he pumped his seed into her. Once he was empty, he panted and collapsed on top of her. Rolling off, he ran a hand through his hair and stared up at the ceiling.

"You are my wife, Kagome," he repeated. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I never thought I would have a wife." Rolling onto his side, he propped himself up on his elbow and stared down at her. "I never thought I would get the chance. And children?" He scoffed and looked away. "All I had wanted was to kill. I lived for the taste of the blood of my enemies. I always only fought the strongest of humans and demons alike to increase my own skills and abilities." He rolled back onto his back. "Never thought I would have an actual family to care for."

It was her turn to lay sideways and prop herself up on her elbow. "Didn't you consider the Band of Seven your brothers? And then there was your blood family…"

He glanced at her and huffed. "My blood family… They didn't like how zealous I was becoming during my training. My father had decided at some point that he wanted to send me away to a monastery. As if monks could somehow purge the demons that supposedly were in me. And my older brother had decided to give me guard duty after my father died. He wanted to use me to make our kingdom stronger, but he also knew how much I hated him and my father."

She frowned. "But you had no demonic energy when I met you," she commented. "Miroku would have sensed it if you had." She thought about this for a moment and her eyes widened. "You had told me that your father didn't care much for you. It was an excuse, wasn't it? An excuse to send you away?"

He closed his eyes. He smiled after a moment, but didn't open his eyes. "Shimazu Kagome," he purred softly. His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her. "You are Shimazu Kagome now, wife of Shimazu Bankotsu."

She returned his smile and nodded. "I'll have to go and have my name legally changed on my license and I will need to inform the school of Banryu's true name and get his birth records corrected," she commented. "He's been going by my maiden family's name, Higurashi. That's not really appropriate anymore." She looked at him curiously. "There isn't a chance you'll change your given name back to…" His glare made her snap her mouth shut. She gave a nervous laugh and waved her hand. "Just kidding," as her giggle faded, she sighed. "What was your given name, by chance?"

"It doesn't matter," he told her and she didn't bother to argue.

Kagome had learned long ago to pick and choose her battles. She didn't know the entire story between Bankotsu and the family he was born into, but the pieces were beginning to fall together. She would have to learn more. As a samurai lord, his father seemed to be very proficient and well known. At least, he had to be if he was in such a high position. It would need more investigation.


	7. Chapter 6

Bankotsu sat at the table watching his new bride bustle about the kitchen. A cup of juice lay untouched in front of him and two pieces of buttered toast sat in a saucer just a fraction away. Directly in front of him was a bowl of rice cereal.

The sound of shuffling feet drew Bankotsu's attention to the door and he gazed at the little boy as Banryu entered the kitchen and climbed onto a chair next to Bankotsu. The boy said nothing as he picked up a pair of chopsticks and began eating his own bowl of rice cereal.

Kagome turned to face them with a plate of sliced fruit. "Oh! Good morning, Banryu," she greeted with a smile as she approached the table and dished some fruit onto their saucers of toast.

"Morning, Mom," the little boy mumbled as he set his bowl down and picked up some toast. "Morning, Dad," he added between bites as he looked up at his father.

Bankotsu gave the boy a smile. "Good morning, young man," he said. "Ready to begin training today?"

Banryu tilted his head in confusion and wrinkled his nose. "Training?"

Kagome sighed. "Don't forget, dear, swords are illegal in modern day Japan," she chimed.

The boy's eyes widened as he took in what his mother was saying. He glanced at his father happily. "You're really going to teach me how to sword fight?" he asked, his eyes filling with hope.

Bankotsu inclined his head as he picked up his cup of juice. "We'll start with that sword I bought for you the other day. Of course, I'll need to find one for myself," he mused as he took a sip of the juice. His eyes widened slightly at the taste and he pulled the cup away from himself to look at it. "What is this stuff?"

Kagome was just starting to sit in her chair when she paused and looked at him. "Do you not like it?" she asked.

He licked his lips and took another sip. "Actually, I do," he admitted. "It definitely has a different taste, but it's good. What is it?"

"Mango," she answered as she bit into her toast. "Mango, Pineapple, and Strawberry juice. It's one of Banryu's favorites."

He nodded as he set his cup down and continued with his food.

As the small family ate, Shiori and Inuyasha walked into the kitchen. Inuyasha sat at the head of the table and stared at Bankotsu as Shiori set food in front of him. The mercenary glanced up and met the hanyou's glare with one of his own. "What'cha lookin' at, half-breed?" he growled.

The dog's eyes narrowed as he sniffed. "You smell different," he commented as he picked up the tea Shiori had set on the table for him.

"Maybe because I don't smell like graveyard soil anymore," Bankotsu suggested with a laugh. "I am alive now."

This only made Inuyasha frown more. "No, that's not it," he said. He continued to stare at Bankotsu, not bothering to touch his food.

For his part, Bankotsu ignored the hanyou, focusing instead on his son. "When you are finished with your academic studies today, I will take you for some swordsmanship practice," he said to the boy.

Banryu's eyes lit up as Kagome sighed. "I don't know why you bother. He can't even use a sword in this day and age," she explained. "You're better off helping him practice Judo."

"Battojutsu was good enough for me, it will be good enough for him," was Bankotsu's reply.

Inuyasha scoffed. "You're going to get yourself arrested, stupid," he mocked.

The mercenary shot him a look as Kagome squared her jaw. "Battojutsu teaches discipline," he stated calmly. "Even if swords aren't allowed to be carried around here, it is still a good skill for him to know and he will know it."

Kagome sighed. "Maybe something a bit softer?" she compromised. "Judo is much like Jujutsu, but it teaches more about being gentle. The country isn't at war, so it isn't…"

"Right now," Bankotsu interrupted. He sneered. "Am I the only one who saw all the demons in that building yesterday or heard the training that was happening down the hall from that daiyoukai's office? He needs to be prepared for anything. He needs to learn discipline and how to read his opponent. It's not just about sword fighting, though that is the main focus. It's about learning to judge yourself and those around you. To be aware of your environment. To be alert at all times and to effectively predict whatever is going to happen next."

"All of which he gets from Judo," Kagome pointed out. "The difference is, he'll be able to subdued his opponent rather than kill him."

He tilted his head. "Is that even Japanese?" he asked.

She huffed. "Yes. It happens to be a modern form of martial arts, thank you very much. Less deadly than the things you were taught," she assured him.

He nodded as he thought it over. "Jujutsu," he said finally. "I'll start him on Jujutsu and we'll move into Battojutsu. But he will learn Battojutsu. He is from a lineage of samurai."

"And priests," she added. "My family has always owned that shrine and we were taught the ways of priesthood. Peace, gentleness, kindness."

For a moment, she thought he was going to argue with her, but then Inuyasha interrupted, "There it is again. What is that smell? And I sense a demonic presence."

Shiori nodded. "But you and I are the only demons here," she stated as she looked around. She pushed her chair back and got up, walking to the door. "Unless we have company…"

Inuyasha's eyes shot back to the mercenary. "It's coming from you," he said.

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "I think you already established that I smell different. Kagome and I did have sex last night quite a few times."

"I know what sex smells like," Inuyasha spat in annoyance. "And yes, you do smell like sex, but there is something else, but that isn't even what I was talking about. You have a demonic presence about you, corpse."

Both the mercenary and the miko stared at the hanyou in surprise for a moment. Then Bankotsu erupted in laughter. "I'm a human, not a demon," he managed to say between chuckles. "Even if you keep calling me a corpse, I can guarantee that I am very much a live human."

Inuyasha stood up at the same time Bankotsu did. "Inuyasha," Kagome warned.

"Get out of my face, half-breed," the mercenary snarled as Inuyasha moved to stand in front of him.

The hanyou sniffed again and lowered his arms. "No," he stated, "this is definitely the scent of a demon. Who are you really?" he demanded.

Bankotsu set his jaw and Kagome wondered if he would rise to Inuyasha's bait, but the mercenary glanced at his wife and scoffed. "I don't have time for this," he huffed as he turned away from the hanyou. "Banryu, go get ready to go to your academy. Your mother and I have business today and I don't want you to be late."

"Yes, Daddy," the boy said as he put his chopsticks down and slipped off his chair. He looked up at Inuyasha for a moment before running down the hall.

As Bankotsu turned to follow his son, the hanyou stepped up to block him from the hallway. The mercenary sent Inuyasha a deadly glare. "Move."

"I'm not letting you down there," the hanyou growled. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you will get out of my house."

"You said you sensed the demon, Inuyasha," Kagome said, "but yesterday your brother wouldn't give him any time at all because he didn't sense demon blood on Bankotsu, remember? If Bankotsu was a demon, wouldn't Sesshomaru have known?"

"That's because yesterday there wasn't any demon scent to him," Inuyasha spat. "No blood, no aura, nothing. He was a human, simple as that. But now I sense the demon."

The hanyou turned back to Bankotsu, preparing to fight and then froze. "What?" he stuttered.

"It's gone," Shiori breathed, coming up behind Kagome. She looked concerned as her eyes went from Inuyasha to Bankotsu and back again. "I don't understand."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Doesn't matter. He's still not staying in this house," he argued.

"Inuyasha, you forget that this is my house, too," Kagome said, irritated. "I pay half the bills here and that hall is part of my half of the house. And I say he can stay, so he stays. He's Banryu's father and my husband."

Exasperated, the hanyou threw his hands up in the air and then waved an accusing hand at the mercenary. "Do you not see what he's doing to you?!" he shouted. "You don't think I grew deaf last night? Do you not realize that I heard everything?"

"Wha –? "

"Everything, Kagome!" he spat. "The shouting, the screaming, the begging. I heard it all! And you still defend this asshole! And just now… I am not that old to start going senile. I not only felt a demonic presence, but I could smell it. It wasn't from me and it wasn't coming from Shiori." He pointed at Bankotsu. "It came from him."

Kagome folded her arms. "If it came from him, then where is it now?" she asked, looking at the hanyou expectantly.

"The hell if I know!" he growled. "Why don't you ask him? Since you and I have lived together, I never gave you any reason to doubt me. So, why are you doing it now?"

Shiori gave a slight nod to her head and calmly added, "I don't know what's going on, and I don't understand it." She looked at Bankotsu and pinched her lips together. "I want to believe that you came back to become a better man for Kagome and Banryu. However, I sensed the demonic presence as well. I don't blame you for it, Bankotsu, but something is not right."

"I'm not a demon," he said, looking back at her. "I was born a man, I died a man, and when I was brought back, both times… I'm still a man. A human. So, I don't know why you would sense a demon."

The bat hanyou nodded. "Don't you think it is worth checking into, though? To find out why this happened?" She gave Kagome an imploring look. "It could be a fluke. Maybe someone was passing by the house or something, but we should find out."

Kagome glanced at her husband for a moment, then sighed. Turning back to the pair of hanyou, she relented, "If it will make both of you feel better, we'll go back to Sesshomaru's office today and speak with him. See if he can pick up anything. In the meantime, we have to get Banryu to school and try to find Bankotsu a job somewhere."

"And you have to inform your job that you won't be going back," Bankotsu reminded the miko. "There's no need for you to work since I'm here now. You have more important things to worry about."

She gave him a small smile. "We'll talk more about that later," she said and his eyes narrowed.

His eyes did not leave Kagome as Bankotsu addressed Shiori, "We will go to that demon's office today. If he doesn't sense anything, my suggestion would be to drop it for now. There are other matters that we should focus on, honestly." As Kagome looked away, Bankotsu turned his attention to the bat hanyou. "As much as I appreciate you helping to take care of my girl and son while I was gone, I would like for us to be able to have our own place. I hate the idea of crowding you, especially as both of our families will be growing with time."

Shiori blushed at the charming glint in Bankotsu's eye as Kagome gasped and Inuyasha stared at him, stricken. "Oh, I didn't do much," she murmured. "It was mostly Inuyasha."

Bankotsu scoffed. "Oh, I don't fully buy that. Someone had to be there for Kagome when Inuyasha was being a dick. And he does that more often than not," the mercenary stated. He gave her a knowing look. "You're being too humble. Besides, I feel you deserve a compliment and some recognition for all that you do. Even these past few days since I've returned, you've done far more than your fair share."

"You are too kind," the hanyou commented with a blush. She glanced at Kagome, who stared at Bankotsu as though he had grown a second head.

It was at that time that Banryu had reappeared. Not wanting to be late, Kagome snapped out of her daze and pulled Bankotsu to their bedroom so they could get dressed for the day.

(II)(II)

"So, that's three applications so far," Kagome listed off as she sipped her milkshake.

The moment they dropped off Banryu, she and Bankotsu had started going to several places looking for jobs. So far, he had refused any sort of food service and most of the retail jobs. She was able to convince him to put an application in at the hardware store Inuyasha worked at, but that made her a bit nervous. She was also able to convince him to apply for the janitorial job at Banryu's school after explaining how he would using tools to fix things that broke, along with the normal cleaning that they did. The final job she convinced him to apply at was as a bellhop at one of the local hotels.

He took a bite of his burger. Pausing a moment to chew and savor the taste, he swallowed and said, "You know none of those jobs are going to last long. I don't know why you won't just let me apply to work security somewhere."

"Because security does not mean you get to kill every person who does something wrong in a store," she explained. "And you would. Or at least you would try."

He gave her a patient look and set his burger down on his napkin. Reaching across the table, he took her hands in his and caught her eyes with his. "Kagome, I'm a mercenary. You know this about me. I kill people and I enjoy it," he said to her. "Even if I get one of these jobs, it is in my nature to kill and it will happen again. If I get a job in security or even law enforcement, at least I would be killing criminals, which is legal, unless they changed those laws, too."

"You hate taking orders from others, though," she pointed out.

Releasing her hands, he sat back in his chair. "I do, but there's always opportunity for advancement in those fields," he told her. "So, I may have to take orders for a year or two. I can handle it. Before you know it, I'll be the chief and then I'll give the orders."

She shook her head. "There are problems with that, though. You don't have an actual diploma," she commented with a sigh. "Aside from that, if you were to go into that field, you would have to conform to their uniforms and dress policies, which means, you would have to cut your hair for starters. Then you would have to find a way to cover up your tattoo because it's not exactly in a place that's acceptable by today's standards."

He didn't say anything. Looking back down at his burger, he picked it back up and took another bite from it. They continued eating in silence for a while before he spoke again. "Shiori said she was going to pick up Banryu from school, correct?"

Kagome nodded. "Normally, Inuyasha does it, but I know things are tense between you two and I didn't want another fight to start up. When I called Shiori, she agreed and promised to pick him up after work."

He took a sip of his own drink. "Speaking of work," he said. "We still need to go by your job."

"Bankotsu, I don't know…"

"Kagome," he snapped. "We've had this discussion. You're not keeping that job."

"Can't I at least put in my two weeks?" she asked. "Even if I never get another job, not doing so still looks bad. Not to mention, right now, you don't have a job."

He glared at her as he sucked on his straw. His drink was gone for the most part, judging by the irritating sound. Spitting the straw out of his mouth, he sat back and licked his lips. "We will go to your job today," he told her. "And you will put in your two weeks. _If_ I get a job before your two weeks is up, then you will simply quit. Period. Are we agreed?"

She sighed. "Bankotsu…"

He shot forward in his seat, his body leaning over the table so his face was close to hers. "I am doing the best I can," he hissed. "I'm trying to be fair and considerate. I have compromised more with you today than I have ever compromised with any of my men. And that includes Jakotsu. You have to meet me half way here, Kagome." He fell back into his seat. "This isn't easy for me. Do you understand? In my time, most women didn't have jobs. My mother never held a job. Her job was giving birth to and then raised my brother and me. Her job was cleaning the mansion and making sure my father was served a hot meal every night. Her job was teaching my brother and I arithmetic and how to read and write. Her job was to teach us history, both of Japan and of our family. Her job was to teach us religion." He shook his head. "We didn't have a 'school' like Banryu has. There were tutors, sure, but my mother did most of the work in that regard. And when we weren't learning from her, we were in the fields with my father training, or fixing the house."

Pushing his chair back, Bankotsu stood up and walked around the table. He held his hand out for Kagome. When she placed her hand in his, he helped her up and slipped his hands around her waist. Looking down at her, he murmured, "One moment I was dead, Kagome. And the next, I was in an entirely different world. I don't know this place, these customs. This isn't the Japan I grew up in. I am a stranger to this world and I don't have the same benefit that you did when we first met. I didn't fall into a well and end up 500 years in the past. I woke from my grave and found myself 500 years in the future." He lifted a hand and brushed his fingers across her cheek. "You're always reminding me that this isn't Feudal Japan, but the problem is, that's all I know. I don't need to be chastised. I need to be taught. More importantly, I need some semblance of normalcy. Thus far, all I have is you. You and Banryu. My brothers are gone. Even my parents are gone. I'm a leader with no one to lead. A mercenary with no sword. A killer with no one to kill. Everything I have ever known is gone, so I have to learn something new. And I need your guidance in this. I need you here with me. I'm relying on your strength and constant presence to get me through and remind me why I'm even doing this, why I bother. Without you, I will go mad. And trust me, it would be so easy for me to slip back into that mindset of a killer." He glanced around at the people walking by and his voice lowered as he pressed into her and dipped his head to whisper into her ear. "Look around us. All these people? There's a sword in the window across the street. I know carrying a sword is illegal, but I also know that people still have them, if not to use, then as decoration. I have no problem crossing this street and grabbing that sword and just killing everyone around me. In fact, I crave it," his hot breath blew across her ear and her eyes fluttered as she felt his body harden against her. "Do you feel that?" he asked as his lower body came flush with hers even more. Her eyes snapped open as she felt his hard cock. "Just the thought of slicing these people turns me on."

He pulled his head away and let his eyes drift from her eyes to her lips. He licked his own lips and glanced back up to her. "I know I've been asking a lot of you," he finally admitted. "But nothing I have requested has been unreasonable. You are my wife, the mother of my child, and you'll be the mother of my future children. We'll finally be able to build a life together, as we had talked about back in that mansion all those years ago. Those dreams we had? We can finally do them. But I need you here, with me. I need you to be as committed to me as I am to you. To us. Because, I can promise you this: without it, I will end up going on a killing spree." He shrugged. "It's just my nature."

Biting her bottom lip, she nodded. "Ok," she breathed. "Just… All this talk of killing needs to stop. That's not you anymore. It can't be you."

"And it won't be," he agreed. She gave him a soft smile, which he returned. "Let's go and finish what we need done. I promised our son I would give him fighting lessons." As her mouth dropped, he smirked and winked at her.

(III)(III)

Kagome glanced nervously at the people around her and leaned closer to Bankotsu. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea," she murmured.

He looked down at her in confusion. "What was that?"

She bit her bottom lip as her eyes fell on a particularly nasty looking demon. Snapping out of her thoughts, she stopped walking and turned to the mercenary. "I was just thinking," she said with a smile, patting his arm in her nervousness. "Maybe we should do this another day. I know Koga doesn't work tomorrow and as much as I trust Shiori, I really think we should get home to our son."

The lines in his forehead deepened as he stared at her. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Her face fell and she froze as the stared at the figure behind him. Kagome could feel all the warmth leave her face as the tall, sinister demon approached them. Her mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. She had never felt so much fear for this one person and, that terrified her even more.

"I assume you're going to tell me why you are here?" Sesshomaru's deep voice commanded. Had that been an echo she had heard?

As Bankotsu turned around, Kagome tugged on his sleeve. "No, no," she insisted. "We were just leaving. We came here by mistake…"

The mercenary turned back to his wife. "What? You're joking," he demanded. "After all the fuss you made?" He looked back at the daiyoukai. "Kagome and I wished to speak to you about an event that occurred this morning in our home," he explained.

"Why would I care what two mortals do in their spare time?" Sesshomaru asked, his annoyance flaring.

As the dog demon turned, Bankotsu interrupted him. "I would have thought a great demon like yourself would be interested in hearing about the demon that his younger brother discovered, but oh well." He grabbed Kagome's arm. "Let's go."

Kagome had heard many strange and unusual things in her relatively short lifetime. She had survived a Feudal Era war against, quite possibly, the evilest being she had ever had the displeasure of knowing. She had seen things she never thought she'd ever see; demons being one of them. She watched, in surprise, as a being more powerful than any she had known had befriended and cared for a small mortal girl. She had seen a family become ripped apart only for them to be pieced back together. What she had never heard, nor seen, however, was Sesshomaru, the great dog demon from said Feudal Era, chuckle as he smirked.

She blinked as she gazed at him in awe. Sesshomaru was chuckling? She licked her lips nervously. "Uh… Sesshomaru?" she inquired uncertainly as she absently tugged on Bankotsu to make him stop.

As quickly as it had begun, the humor Sesshomaru displayed disappeared. He dropped his arms to his sides. "Follow me," he ordered the two humans as he turned and began walking to his office.

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed, but quickly followed behind Kagome as she rushed to catch up to the daiyoukai. Once they were back in Sesshomaru's office, the dog demon turned to the couple. That was when Kagome noticed Jaken running about the room. Had he always been there or had he suddenly appeared? She opened her mouth to ask such question, but was interrupted by the daiyoukai. 

"Now, tell me what it is you wish to say," he said softly.

Kagome tore her eyes from the small toad demon to look at Sesshomaru and then at Bankotsu. She frowned slightly in confusion. "We aren't sure what happened this morning," she admitted honestly as her eyes roamed back to the great demon. "Inuyasha was the one whom had noticed it. Well, him and Shiori. One moment, Inuyasha and Bankotsu were arguing, as they usually do in the mornings, and the next, Inuyasha claimed that he had sensed the presence of a demon."

Sesshomaru stared at her. "Did you not also sense this presence?" he asked. "I was under the impression that you were a priestess."

She sighed as she lowered her head. "Even when I was in the Feudal Era, I couldn't sense the presence of demons. Now, however…" She glanced back up at him. "I'm married and with a child. I'm hardly as pure as I was back then. In fact, I haven't even attempted to try any of the things Kaede taught me since I've returned here."

"I do not sense a demon presence amongst the two of you," he told them flatly. The couple glanced at one another.

Rolling his eyes, Bankotsu scoffed. "I knew that half breed was making false claims. I'm telling you, Kagome, if he had it his way, I'd be gone and the two of you would be on the road to marriage with each other."

The miko shoved her fists in her hips. "And I'm telling you, it's not like that, ok?" she spat. "Inuyasha has been nothing more than a kind, caring friend. Besides, he has Shiori now."

The mercenary gave her a knowing look. "But if he hadn't Shiori?" he questioned. "If that sweet bat hadn't come into his life? Then what? You and Inuyasha already act like a married couple, if you ignore that you haven't had sex with one another."

Kagome folded her arms. "And what makes you think we haven't?" she challenged.

Bankotsu's eyes darkened as they narrowed. "You wouldn't dare," he growled as he gritted his teeth.

"Wouldn't I?" she asked. "I mean, for all I knew you were gone and weren't coming back. I saw you die that second time. I saw your Banryu get buried in the rubble. You weren't coming back. You were dead. I was well within my right to move on, if I chose. Especially after Banryu was born. Granted, my mother managed to raise my brother and I alright after my father died, but there was no reason for me to make my son do the same, especially if there was someone there who would willingly step into the role."

Bankotsu's fists clenched at his sides as he took a step towards her. "I've killed men for less," he warned her. "You are mine, Kagome. Do you understand what that means? You and Banryu both belong to me."

"We're not pieces of property," she argued. "We're human beings and we have rights. Before you came back, I had the right to fall in love again. I had a right to meet someone and even marry them if I wanted to. There is nothing that says I couldn't."

"Our marriage…"

"Was what people did during the Feudal Era," she interrupted. "It has no bearing on modern times. In fact, if you and I hadn't gotten our marriage license, we wouldn't be married now. At least, not legally. And I would still have a right to marry someone else if I wanted to."

"Hold," Sesshomaru ordered, cutting off their argument and gaining their attention. His eyes widened slightly as he stared at Bankotsu. Lifting his right hand, he called for his Tensaiga and held it in front of him. His lips pinched together as he looked at the sword then back at the mercenary. "That's odd."

Kagome dropped her hands. "What is it?" she asked, forgetting about the argument she was having with her husband. She glanced at Bankotsu in concern then back at Sesshomaru.

The dog demon stood there a moment longer with Tensaiga poised as if ready to attack. Bankotsu glared at the demon. "Planning to attack an unarmed man? I didn't take you for a coward, Sesshomaru," he snarled.

"You idiot!" Jaken shouted, running to the trio to defend his master. "How dare you…."

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru growled. "Go back to your duties."

The little toad bowed his head. "Yes, m'lord."

Sesshomaru lowered his sword and looked up at Bankotsu. His brow furrowed. "What are you?" he asked.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow. "I am Shimazu Bankotsu, former leader of the Band of Seven," he replied. "I've been resurrected after five hundred years, but I am still human."

Sesshomaru pressed his lips together for a moment. Kagome thought he was about to dismiss them, but his eyes narrowed when she took a step back, indicating that he was aware of her every move. Not taking his eyes off the mercenary, he placed the sword on his desk. "You've been searching for employment, have you not?"

Bankotsu folded his arms. "Yeah, and?"

"We haven't had much luck," Kagome told the demon. "Most of the places we've been to don't really have anything he can really do, or they aren't what interests him."

"I might have a position for you," Sesshomaru stated. He set his jaw. "I don't really care to do dealings with humans and there are few demons I trust. However, this is a delicate job and I could benefit from having a human do it." He looked to Kagome. "I wouldn't even consider it if you weren't married to him," he assured her. "He is loyal to you, is he not?"

The miko tilted her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Kagome is my woman," Bankotsu stated. "She is my wife and I am her husband. I honor my commitment to our growing family."

Sesshomaru gave a single nod of his head and turned away from them to walk to his desk. "Good," he replied. "Then the task should be simple enough for you." The demon walked around the desk and sat in the large chair behind it.

Bankotsu looked at the demon curiously. "What sort of job is this?"

"I need a personal guard," the demon explained. "Not for myself, but for someone else within my mansion. This morning she had come to me begging to walk the streets of Tokyo, but I do not trust the humans here. Or the demons, to be honest." He glanced up at the mercenary. "Do you know how to wield a firearm?"

Kagome gasped and reached out to touch Bankotsu's arm. The mercenary frowned. "I'm not sure," he answered. "As the leader of my band of men, I didn't need to wield anything like that. Usually Renkotsu and Ginkotsu dealt with those things."

"I see," Sesshomaru said as he picked up his brush and began writing on a scroll. "Then, I shall have to put you through some training before I can trust you with her life." He looked up and glanced between the two. "You will have benefits and a steady income." His eyes fell upon the mercenary. "Your duty will be to guard the girl. Let her do as she pleases, so long as she is safe." He glanced at Kagome for a moment before turning his attention to a drawer in his desk.

The humans looked at one another while the daiyoukai was distracted. "He's giving you a job," Kagome whispered, mystified.

Sesshomaru straightened up and the humans looked at him again. He had put his brush up, though neither human had seen him do so. In his hands, he held a small stack of banknotes. Kagome's eyes widened as the daiyoukai offered them to Bankotsu. The mercenary reached out to take them, but Sesshomaru pulled away slightly at the last moment. "There are 10 ten thousand banknotes here," he explained. "In a month's time, you should make enough to give your wife and child a proper home away from my disgusting brother. You'll even be able to register your son into a better school."

Kagome's jaw dropped as she stared at Sesshomaru. "But… why?" she asked. "Yesterday you had no interest in helping us. Why now?"

Sesshomaru stood and walked over to a file cabinet. Searching through another drawer, he pulled out a folder with a stack of paper. Flipping through the papers, he spoke without looking up. "Your father was a samurai lord," he commented, ignoring Kagome's questions. "Which means that you do know how to read and write, correct?" He glanced up at Bankotsu as he approached the mercenary. Snapping the folder shut, he handed it to Bankotsu. "I need you to fill out this paperwork. Given that I do know where you come from, you are free to be as honest as possible in your answers. In fact, I insist you do such. I will not tolerate deceit. As I said, I am trusting you because of your station and your choice in spouse. Do not make me regret it."

Bankotsu took the folder he was offered and straightened up. "Shall I fill it out now or bring it back?" he asked.

Sesshomaru squared his jaw. "You need to read everything written in those documents," he said. "They explain in detail what is expected of you and what your benefits entail. Given that your wife has lived in this modern era her entire life, I expect her to help you understand the things you may not. Fill out the papers and return them to me tomorrow at this time. Once you so that, we will begin your training in firearms before I bring you to my home to meet your charge. You will not go out in public with her until I am satisfied with your training. Aside from firearms, you will also learn how to drive and go through a refresher course in hand-to-hand combat. This is the modern age, and as such, swords and their like are merely for show and training, not to be used."

Kagome sighed. "Sesshomaru," she tried again. "Why are you helping us with this?"

He glanced at her. "You came here asking for a job," he replied. "I am offering one. I wasn't aware that my reasons for such needed to be questioned."

"It's fine, Kagome," Bankotsu stated as he tucked the folder under his arm.

Sesshomaru handed the mercenary the money and stared at Kagome again. "I would also like to study you as well, miko," he said. At her widened eyes, he elaborated, "You were a priestess during the time I had known you. I want to see if you do still have that gift or not. If you do, I may have you tutor the girl."

Kagome sucked in her lower lip. "Who is she?" she asked, curious.

Sesshomaru gave her a single nod. "You will meet her tomorrow night," he told them both. "After Bankotsu returns the folder to me, and after we are finished here for the day, we shall all dine in the mansion. I expect proper attire and if you wish to bring your son, that will be fine. However, I am only inviting the three of you. Inuyasha has no need to make an appearance. Now, you are dismissed for the evening."

Kagome gave her husband an uneasy look as he smiled and bowed his head to the daiyoukai. "We appreciate your generosity, Lord Sesshomaru," he said as he handed the money to the miko.


	8. Chapter 7

The soft click of her seat's belt assured Kagome that she was strapped safely into the driver's seat of her car. She stared at the dash board, still stunned. "What happened back there?" she asked slowly.

Bankotsu scoffed as he counted the notes silently. "Unless I'm mistaken, I got a job," he told her. "And some money." He showed her the notes.

She glanced at him and frowned. "Sesshomaru isn't known for his charity," she said as she looked down at the notes. "Given how he had dismissed us yesterday, I was expecting him to turn us away again. It makes me wonder why."

The mercenary shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. "Does it really matter? Part of being a mercenary is that you don't really question your employers. You simply do what they ask of you and get paid," he drawled.

"Isn't not asking questions what got you and your men killed the first time?" she asked. She touched her bottom lip with her index finger. "Come to think of it, that's kind of what happened the second time as well, wasn't it?"

He glared at her. "What's your point?"

As she pulled up to a stop light, she looked at him. "My point is, you should ask questions," she stated. "It's weird. I may not know Sesshomaru well, but I do know him. He doesn't just hand out jobs or money without a reason."

"He had a reason," he argued. "He needs someone to guard over some girl."

Kagome sighed as she turned down another street. "You saw that building. It was teeming with demons and half demons. He could easily hire any one of those people. So, why you?"

"Why not?" he shot back. "I don't understand what you're upset about, Kagome. We went there to get help from him and he gave us help. He offered me a job. If there are sinister reasons behind it, we'll learn of them soon enough." Bankotsu put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "And my men and I were not killed the second time due to my lack of knowledge. I didn't trust Naraku the first time I met him and I didn't trust him when he resurrected me. And I don't trust Sesshomaru, either. At least, not fully."

Her eyes shifted to him momentarily. "Not fully?" she repeated in confusion.

He lazily looked out the window as they passed by buildings. "Sesshomaru is a man of honor," he said. "I remember him from back when I was alive the first time, though I didn't actually meet him until after my first death. He was the son of a powerful beast known as the Great Dog Demon, Inu no Taisho. My father used to tell us stories about Inu no Taisho when I was a kid. According to my father, Inu no Taisho ruled over the Western Border and protected it and the people who lived there. He fought with honor and, from what I've seen of Sesshomaru, he instilled that same sense into his older son. I reckon Inuyasha would have been taught it as well if Inu no Taisho had lived long enough."

"Sesshomaru is a man of honor," the miko agreed after a moment of silence. She sighed. "I also know he isn't deceitful, so… I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Still, it doesn't make any sense to me that he would hire you. He doesn't even know you. I wonder what happened to make him change his mind."

(II)(II)

Sesshomaru sighed in weary contentment as he felt his glamour melt away upon entering his home. It had been a long and brutal day filled with training and contracts. And then there was the mortal mercenary and his miko wife. The daiyoukai pressed his lips together in thought. By rights, both mortals should be dead. At least, that was what he assumed given they had lived 500 years ago. Her explanations had done little to appease the dog demon.

He entered his study and glanced at a statuette figurine of a dog that had been gifted to him some years prior. Perhaps Kagome's tale wasn't as farfetched as he thought, after all, he knew of the well she had spoken of and he knew it held a tremendous amount of power. But that wasn't really his focus at the moment.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you're home," a young woman greeted softly as she entered his study carrying a tray. "I thought you might be hungry, so I had the cook fix you some steak and stir-fry."

He watched the woman as she approached him and set the tray upon his desk. "We'll have company tomorrow," he told her.

She looked at him curiously. "We will?"

He gave a single nod. "I'm not sure if you would remember them or not. Unless I am mistaken, the woman is some sort of time traveler and the man had been resurrected recently," he explained.

The woman tilted her head. "Time traveler? Is that even possible, my lord?"

Sesshomaru frowned. "It has to be. It is the only thing that makes sense," he told her. "Even more, I've seen my long-lost brother."

"Lord Inuyasha?" she questioned as she raised her fingers to her lips in surprise.

The dog demon grunted. "He is no 'lord' and I will not have you refer to him as such," he growled.

"My apologies, my lord," she said, bowing slightly and casting her eyes down in submission. "Hearing that your brother is alive just surprised me is all. Have you spoken to Inuyasha?" 

Sesshomaru pressed his lips together as he walked over to the floor length window next to his desk. Looking out into the gardens, he sighed. "I have," he answered.

She nodded, but was careful not to smile, even though the thought made her happy. Curiously, she asked, "What about that girl he was with? You know, the one that caused him to disappear? Did he ever meet up with her or did you discuss that with him?"

The youkai's eyes narrowed. "She's the time traveler I spoke of," he replied. "From what she had told me, she was able to transcend time through the use of an old well in her family's shrine. The well transporter her to the Feudal Era where she came across my brother."

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh!" she squeaked as realization dawned on her. Sesshomaru turned to look at her. She snapped her fingers. "It all makes sense now! I remember how she wore that clothing, she must have been a student. I've seen middle schoolers wear uniforms similar to what she used to wear. And, my memory may be wrong, but didn't she used to ride around on a bike sometimes?"

A single nod from him gave her the answer she needed. "I'm surprised you remember. You were but a child at the time."

She smiled. "I was," she admitted. "But she was very kind to me. What was her name again?"

"Kagome," he said as he turned back to the window.

Her smile grew brighter. "And the man? Is Inuyasha coming?"

"The man's name is Bankotsu. Five hundred years ago, he led the Band of Seven, a group of murderous mercenaries who terrorized the villages and profited off the warmongering lords of the time," he explained.

The woman gasped. "A mercenary? My lord, are you sure you want him here? How did he get resurrected?"

He glanced at her. "I've charged him to keep you protected," he told her. "And I'm paying him well for your safety while you go to the city."

She beamed at him. "You're letting me go into the city?" she inquired hopefully.

He turned to her fully and reached out to touch her shoulder. "I've never minded you going into the city," he whispered. "I just want you to be safe. Protected. The city can be a dangerous place."

Excited, she jumped up on her toes and wrapped her hands around his neck as she kissed his lips. "Thank you, my lord," she purred.

He allowed his hand to fall to her waist as he looked into her deep chocolate eyes. "All I ask is that you keep Bankotsu with you. He may have been a mercenary in the Feudal Era, but he is not a husband and father. Like you, he's trying to find his place in this modern world," he said softly as he rested his forehead upon hers. "I've already lost you more times than I care to admit. I don't know what I would do without you."

She reached up and touched his cheek. "You won't have to find out, my lord," she assured him.

He straightened up slightly and cupped her cheek. As she smiled up at him reassuringly, he dipped down to capture her lips with his. She was right. He wouldn't ever have to find out.

(III)(III)

Kagome and Bankotsu had been bickering since they had left the I.F.A.D.. First, it was her persistent questioning of Sesshomaru's motives for hiring the human mercenary. Then, Bankotsu kept pestering her about quitting her job at the coffee shop.

"You don't even know how often Sesshomaru is going to pay you," she pointed out as she pulled up to the McDonald's for lunch. "For all we know, that hundred thousand yen could be per month, which isn't a whole lot and certainly not enough for us to afford a home on your salary alone."

He glowered at her. "The demon said we would be taken care of," he repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I may not know him, but even you have to agree that he is an honorable creature. He said he would make sure we had a home of our own. Do you really have that little faith in his word?"

She sighed. "Of course, I trust his word," she said softly as she rolled down her window.

Bankotsu watched her as she ordered their food. It fascinated him as he listened to a voice coming from the little box they had pulled up next to. He blinked as Kagome ordered a couple of things called "Big Mac Combos" and wondered, briefly, what they were, but he remained quiet as she spoke to the box. The voice gave the little miko the total and informed her to pull up to the second window.

Rolling up her window, Kagome followed the box's information, pulling up behind a minivan and waiting. "If you trust Sesshomaru's word, then you should trust that we'll be fine," he said, quietly. "Once we have our home, you won't have time to go to some job."

"I'm not just some baby making machine, Bankotsu," she told him. "I'm not interested in popping out another child every other year or so."

He glared at her. "You'll have as many children as we're blessed with and be happy about it," he ordered. "But that wasn't what I was talking about. Aside from raising our children, you'll have an entire manor to manage and land on top of that."

"Land?" she questioned, looking at him.

He gave her a single nod as the car moved up one spot. "I'm not interested in half-assing shit. I plan on us having land with horses and maybe some other livestock, like chickens. And even a vegetable garden where…"

"This isn't the…"

He snarled, "Don't say it! Damn it, Kagome! Why the hell do you have to fight me on everything?"

"Japan isn't as big as it once was," she explained. "What you suggest sounds great, but it isn't exactly feasible. Besides, why have chickens, or even a vegetable garden, when we have stores and markets where we can purchase the things we need."

"Why purchase it when you can grow it?" he snapped back.

She took a deep breath as they finally pulled up to the window. Rolling down her own window, Kagome reached into her purse and pulled out a plastic card which she handed to the lady standing there. Taking the two cups of drink, Kagome handed them to Bankotsu before turning back to the lady and taking the bag of food from her. The lady handed Kagome her card and receipt. They thanked one another and Kagome pulled out of the line and began driving home.

"What am I doing with these?" Bankotsu asked, still holding the drinks.

Kagome indicated the cup holders between them. "You can put them there for now," she suggested. "Normally, I would have gone into the restaurant to eat, but I thought it might be better for us to eat at home."

The mercenary set the drinks in the holders and Kagome handed him the bag of food. "If you don't mind just holding onto that until we get home?"

"I want a home where we don't have to rely on other people to provide us with what we need," he told her after a moment. He looked out his window, watching the passing buildings. "I haven't been alive for five hundred years and one thing I've learned from death is how much we take for granted." He clenched his jaw and glanced at her. "I would have done anything to care for you both during and after your pregnancy, Kagome. To hear our son's first words and see his first steps. I've already missed out on so much and if it weren't for the grace of Hachiman, I would have missed out on everything."

"We'll still have to rely on others," she stated. "Or at least, on Sesshomaru to provide us with the funds."

He huffed. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I'll work all the time," he said.

She groaned. "We don't know that," she pointed out. "He hasn't given you a set schedule or even a length of time you'll be guarding this girl. We don't even know who she is."

"It's probably his daughter or someone. Or maybe his wife," he surmised.

Kagome scoffed. The idea of Sesshomaru procreating was laughable at best, though, a sobering thought crossed her mind. Why wouldn't he marry and have children? He had been relatively young when she had met him in the past, but if she had any idea about demons, given the interactions she had with Koga and Shippo, Sesshomaru had to be at that age by now where he would be settling down. She frowned. Had he married? She hadn't thought to ask him about his personal life.

"Well, I'm sure we'll learn who it is tomorrow," she guessed. "I mean, we're having supper with him and this girl."

"It doesn't really matter anyway," he drawled as she parked the car in front of the house. "Whomever she is, I'll have to protect her. I just hope she's not some cow."

Kagome stared at him in shock. "What do you hope she is?" she asked as she could feel herself becoming angry.

Bankotsu shrugged. "Someone easy on the eyes would be nice. She doesn't have to be a total beauty, but…"

"Might I remind you that you are married!" she hissed. "And to me. You don't need to be worrying about if some other girl is beautiful or not."

He snorted. "Relax, my little miko," he said, waving her off. "You're the only girl I would even consider having sex with. I'm not like that old monk you used to travel around with, you know? I actually have a sense of honor."

"Old monk?" Kagome repeated in askance. The memory of Miroku clicked and she shook her head. "I know you're not like him," she stated. "He actually valued life."

Bankotsu smirked. "Oh, I value life, love," he assured her. "Especially if that life gives me access to a large sum of money."

She shook her head as they got out of the car and made their way to the house. "Something tells me that you'll never change," she muttered in annoyance.

(IV)(IV)

"Why the hell does he need to know if we are actively seeking a second child?" Bankotsu asked later that night.

The mercenary and priestess were sitting on the bed in their room. He had a large, hard book on his lap that he was using as a sort of lap desk as he filled out the paperwork Sesshomaru had given him. They were both dressed down, with him wearing just a pair of shorts and her wearing a tank and skirt. She glanced over his shoulder at the paper.

"He might be trying to discover how devoted you'll be to this girl's protection," she suggested. "I mean, if we're trying to have another child and I get pregnant, that could cause a distraction." She shrugged as she leaned back against the headboard again.

He glanced back at her. "Well, he already knows I have a wife and child. And the both of you can cause a distraction in my work," he told her. "I am dedicated and loyal, but my family comes first. I would kill for her, no questions asked. It's my job. However, if killing for her meant that you were the target, she would be dead before you would. The same could be said if it were Banryu. Of course, if I ended up having to choose between you and him…" He joined her at the headboard and gazed at her. "We can always have another child. For all I know, you could be pregnant as we speak given the amount of sex we've had since I've been back, but there would never be anyone that could replace you."

Tears filled her eyes as she stared at him. She could feel her throat constrict as her heart felt heavy in her chest. "I would…" she started at a whisper and had to catch her breath. She swallowed and straightened her throat. "I would hope that you would find a way to save us both," she told him. "Because if such a choice should ever occur, it wouldn't be a choice. I would die before I see my son do so."

He gave her a small smirk. "And that's why we do so well together," he said, taking her hand in his. "See, Kagome. I know you. I know the kind of person you are. You would save him because you know that I would choose you over him. In the end, I would end up saving you both by default. Either way, you come first for me."

She shook her head as she bowed it, closing her eyes. She fought the tears, forcing them not to fall, for she knew it would do nothing for him. "Children aren't a commodity, Bankotsu," she whispered. "They aren't replaceable by having more children." She looked back up at him once she was certain her tears were under control. "Banryu is our son, our only child. How can you put a price on him?"

He raised a single eyebrow. "Banryu is already at the age where he should start training. My first murder happened when I reached my thirteenth birthday," he responded. "It won't be long before he'll be able to protect himself. My only true concern is you."

She pressed her lips together. "It shouldn't be," she told him, looking down at their joined hands.

With his free hand, he reached up and touched her chin, pushing it upward so she would look at him. "I don't know how to make all of this clearer to you, Kagome," he whispered. "You are everything to me. You mean everything to me. Without you, I am nothing. Without you, there is no family. There is no life worth living without you in it."

She sniffed, fighting the tears. "I would hope," she hesitated, but then pressed on, "I would hope that if something were to happen to me that you would do everything you can to continue. To raise Banryu and any other children we are meant to have."

"Nothing will happen to you," he stated. "I won't let it. I will kill anyone and anything who even thinks about touching you."

She gave him an ironic smile. "Not all dangers are visible. We're human. I could get an incurable disease that will kill me. I could die in a car accident, thru no one's fault aside from me being in the wrong place at the wrong time," she guessed. "The house could catch on fire or there could be an earthquake or a flood or some other natural disaster. And you could find yourself alone with Banryu. I hope that never happens, but part of life is preparing for the worst while still trying to survive on hope."

He frowned. "When did you become so cynical?" he asked.

She hummed as she gave a single nod. "When I woke up with a newborn child and not knowing what was going to happen next," she answered. "My heart is filled with hope and optimism for the future, but Naraku taught me fear, to know how easily it all can be taken away. It's a struggle I've been dealing with for years now."

He sighed as he pushed himself forward on the bed and picked the papers back up. "Let's finish this so we can get some sleep," he said as he read the next question.

(V)(V)

Kagome checked her suit in the mirror, straightening her blazer and patting down her blouse. She had debated between wearing a skirt or a pair of slacks, but when she couldn't find her slacks, she opted for the skirt. "It's so strange," she said as Bankotsu came out of the bathroom. "I woke up this morning and found all of my pants missing."

He had a towel wrapped around his waist as he was combing his hair. "It isn't that strange," he commented as he walked to the closet. "Last night while you were asleep, I threw them all away."

"What?!" she shouted, whipping around to glare at him. "Bankotsu, you cannot go through my clothes and start throwing things away like that!"

He was calm as he parted his hair and began braiding it. "Sure, I can," he said, not looking at her. "I told you I didn't want you wearing men's clothes anymore." He glanced up at her. "I wasn't joking, Kagome. You represent the noble family of Shimazu. You are my wife and, once we have our home, you'll be the lady of it."

She snorted. "Some noble family we have," she hissed sarcastically. "You don't even like your family or the name that comes with it. In fact, you hate them both so much that you changed you name when you left your family."

She hadn't seen him move and she didn't have time to react, but she grunted as he slammed her against the wall. He held her hands above them as he pressed his body against hers and forced one leg between her thighs. His cold cobalt eyes bore into hers in anger.

"You were the one who insisted I take the name," he snarled. "You were the one who wanted me to assimilate into a world I have zero interest in. If I'm going to be a part of this world, then I'm going to do it right. You're my wife, so you better start acting like it."

He kissed her roughly as he grabbed one of her thighs and lifted it to hook around his waist. She moaned as she tore her mouth away from his. "We don't have time," she breathed.

He dipped his face into her neck and sucked on a soft spot there. "There's always time," he told her as he dropped her hands and reached between them to release his cock from its confines. Once freed, he pushed her panties to the side and sank into her moist heat in one quick, hard thrust.

She gave a loud moan as he pounded into her. It was quick and hard. She could feel herself being pressed against the hard wood of the wall and briefly wondered if she would get either splinters or a rash, forgetting that she was still clothed above her waist. He came with a growl, spilling his seed inside her and letting it drip onto the floor without a care.

Pulling away from her slightly, his cock slipped out of her and he glared at the miko. "That is why I don't want you to wear men's clothes," he told her as he stepped away from her.

She shuddered as she watched him pick up the towel he had dropped at some point and wipe his cock off. "Clean yourself up," he ordered as he threw the towel over his shoulder. "We leave shortly to drop off Banryu and then we have to head to the I.F.A.D."

Flabbergasted, the priestess watched as her husband walked back into the bathroom to finish dressing. Taking a deep breath, she let it out with a frustrated sigh.

(VI)(VI)

"I see Mr. Taisho has agreed to help you, sir?" the raccoon demon commented in askance as Bankotsu and his wife approached the front desk. "It's been three days now and you've returned each day."

The mercenary cocked his head to the side. "Is it customary in this new age to mind other people's business aside from your own?" he questioned, earning a glare from Kagome.

"She's just curious," the miko argued.

Bankotsu ignored his wife as the demoness hissed and reeled her head back at the insult. "You will learn your place here, human!" she snapped.

"Which is something you have yet to learn, Kimi," Sesshomaru's voice drifted from the hallway.

The humans and demon turned to look at the hall where the daiyoukai stood. He glanced over the two humans before turning on his heel and walking back down the hallway, knowing they would follow him.

"Have you been having a good morning so far, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked curiously as she stepped in line beside Bankotsu.

The mercenary shot her a look while the dog demon ignored her. Bankotsu sneered, "I suppose my question has been answered."

The priestess frowned and took a breath. "I think you two should get along nicely. You're both dicks," she snapped.

Sesshomaru froze and glanced at her. "The mornings never change, miko," he answered her. "After as many years as I've been around, they become rather mundane and meld into one another."

Kagome pressed her lips together. "See? That wasn't so hard," she commented as they entered the daiyoukai's office.

After the door shut, Sesshomaru walked around his desk and sat down. "Sit," he said to them. No one spoke as he pressed a button on his phone. "Kimi, send Taikoshi to my office."

"Yes, sir," the voice of Kimi rang out from the speaker.

Lacing his fingers and resting them upon the desk, he looked up at the humans. "Have you brought the paperwork?"

Bankotsu gave a single nod as Kagome pulled the file out of her purse. "I honestly didn't think you would have done this much for us, Sesshomaru," she said as she pushed the folder towards him on the desk. "I can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate everything."

Sesshomaru didn't answer as he flipped through the paperwork. "You're keeping the name Shimazu?" he questioned. "And you have a seven-year-old son named Banryu." He glanced up at that. "Was that not the name of your halberd?"

Another single nod came from the mercenary as he stared at the daiyoukai. Sesshomaru's eyes went back to the papers. "We have physicians, pediatricians, dentists, optometrists, gynecologists, and more here. Also, given what you'll be doing, I would suggest sending your son to a private school, particularly the half-breed school we have here. He'll get the training he needs and receive the highest level of education this country has to offer."

Kagome hesitated. "Um, Sesshomaru," she started, causing both men to look at her. She bit her lower lip. "Forgive me, but Banryu is perfectly content at the school he goes to now. I don't want to uproot him."

The dog stared blankly at her. "If you would like, I can have one of my assistants give you a tour of the facilities. You can even speak with the staff there as well. I assure you, he'll be better suited here than he will at a human school."

"But he's not a half demon," she insisted, her brows furrowing.

"Kagome," Bankotsu stopped her, placing a hand on her arm. "If the school here is better, then this is where Banryu shall go."

The priestess shook her head. "We came here to better your life," she told him. "To help you get a good job and situated here in this era. Banryu already knows…"

"He's already been exposed to demons," Sesshomaru stated, drawing their attention. "He should be here amongst us. In time, he will gain much of the inherited abilities provided for him from his lineage. He'll need some way to utilize his abilities. The human side of this world will not give him what he will need. If you want proof, ask Inuyasha how he is doing not wielding Tetsusaiga as he should."

"Inuyasha is a half demon," she reasoned. "Banryu isn't." Sesshomaru said nothing, which only angered her. She huffed. "There's no reason for Banryu to go to a half demon school. He's human. He should go to a human school."

Bankotsu glanced down at his fingernails. "And, yet, I'm still his father, still the head of the house, and I say that if the opportunity to give Banryu an even better education presents itself, we should do so."

Kagome threw her hands up in the air and stood up. "I give up!" she shouted. "There's no discussion. No compromising with either of you."

"Sit down!" Sesshomaru barked, causing the priestess to freeze and stare wide eyed at him.

A man entered the office at that moment and Kagome backed up slowly and sat back in the chair. The man was different from any she had ever seen before and she knew immediately that he was a demon. He had to be. His tanned, perfect skin revealed pointed, almost elfin features and the girl was instantly reminded of Lord of the Rings. Taking note of his long, silken blond hair and pointed ears, she imagined that he was what Tolkien had in mind when he created the elves. He wasn't particularly tall, and she had a feeling that if Bankotsu were to stand, they would be the same height. His muscles were lean and tight and he wore a sleeveless tank and a black hamaka that he had tightened around his ankles. He bowed before the three people.

"You requested my presence, my lord?" he asked, his voice soft, furthering Kagome's thoughts on elves. All he needed was a ranger's outfit and bow and he would be set.

Sesshomaru stood and indicated that the two humans do the same. Yep, Kagome thought, this elf and Bankotsu were about the same height, though Bankotsu actually looked taller. "Shimazu Bankotsu, former leader of the Band of Seven," the daiyoukai introduced. "Have you heard of them?"

The demon's almond shaped eyes widened slightly. "The Band of Seven, my lord? But it's been well over five hundred years since they've been alive," he said. "And, unless I'm mistaken, they were all human."

The daiyoukai gave the lesser demon a look. "You would be correct in your assessment," he replied slowly. "Bankotsu was recently resurrected by the god Hachiman in order to fulfill his quest to raise his young son and be a husband to this priestess, Shimazu Kagome, formerly of the Higurashi family."

"The priestess whom had destroyed the Shikon Jewel," the demon whispered in reverence as his eyes lay upon the young woman. "I was but a young lad when you defeated that half demon, Naraku. How are you still alive? Were you resurrected as well?"

She shook her head. She opened her mouth to answer, but Bankotsu cut her off. "It's a long story that I'm sure Kagome can divulge to you at a later date," he said.

Sesshomaru gave a single nod. "Indeed. I have another task for you at this moment, Taikoshi," he said, ending any more unnecessary discussion. "I would like for you to take Mr. Shimazu into training to learn how to wield the weapons of this modern age. He has an important role to fulfill and he needs to proper training to do so."

"Yes, my lord," the demon responded, bowing again. "It shall be done."

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed. "Come on, Kagome," he ordered.

"The priestess stays with me," the daiyoukai calmly stated.

The mercenary parted his legs and balled up his fists. "Like hell she does," he growled. "Kagome is my woman and I'll be damned…"

"There is no need to start baring your fangs at me, soldier," Sesshomaru calmly stated. "My interests in her are purely academic. You have nothing to fear."

"I fear nothing," Bankotsu snapped. He pointed at his wife. "She's still coming with me."

The daiyoukai's eyes narrowed to slits. "You will begin your new training today," he reminded the mercenary. "Guns are not like swords. One wrong move and you could incidentally shoot your wife. Given her current pregnancy, that isn't exactly practical at this moment."

Kagome gasped as Bankotsu dropped his stance in shocked awe. "What did you just say?" the priestess asked, hoping she hadn't heard correctly.

Sesshomaru turned to her. With a bored stare, he said, "I don't repeat myself. You heard what I said the first time."

Her eyes widened. "But…" she stuttered and glanced at Bankotsu who wore a smug smile.

"Well, since that's the case, I suppose you're right," the mercenary drawled. "I would hate for anything to happen to my beautiful, pregnant wife." He hesitated a moment, thinking over what the daiyoukai said. Drawing himself up to stand straighter, Bankotsu gave a single nod and approached the miko. Taking her hands into his, he kissed the back of her hand. "I'll return soon enough. When this is done, we'll celebrate." His smile was genuine as he pulled her closer to him. He brushed her cheek gently. "I cannot begin to express how happy I am at this moment, my miko." Dipping his head slightly, he captured her lips with his and kissed her deeply.

The loud straightening of Taikoshi's throat broke the young couple's kiss. "Well, this is certainly exciting news," he commented awkwardly. "I'll have to remember to get you a present to mark the occasion. For now, though, can we continue this later? I hate to be rude, but time is precious for mortals and we have a lot of work to do."

Dropping Kagome's hands, Bankotsu readily agreed. With one last quick kiss on the lips, he turned towards the door. Kagome stared at the door as the two men left. The loud bang of the door being shut made her flinch. Blinking, she glanced at Sesshomaru. "Is it true?" she asked. "Am I really pregnant?"

He simply looked at her, not bothering to answer the question. Returning to his seat, he picked up the brush he had been using and began writing something on parchment. "You may have a seat, Shimazu-sama," he said. This time, it wasn't an order, but rather a request. As she followed his orders, still staring at the door, he continued, "There is something I wished to speak with you about."

She turned and looked at him. She dropped her eyes to her hands. "I guess I wasn't pregnant yesterday, was I? That's why it wasn't brought up until today," she sighed.

He simply stared at her. "Your pregnancy wasn't brought up yesterday because your husband wasn't going into training yesterday," he explained. "It is not customary for me to inform human women that they are pregnant unless I need to. My exposure to the female half of your species is limited to those who grace these halls, usually as the mother of a half demon or the wife of a demon. It is none of my business what happens with humans unless their lives are at stake and they are under my protection."

"Am I under your protection?" she asked.


	9. Chapter 8

Having travelled Japan with a hanyou whose youkai half was dog, as well as a youkai who was fox, and well, now living with said dog hanyou, Kagome knew that predators could be quite silent when on the prowl. Of course, she could easily know that from reading as well, but what reading doesn't actually tell you is how silent a predator can be even when they aren't hunting. The books also did not mention how still and calm true predators could be. Given that Inuyasha was particularly wild, like a hyperactive Chihuahua, even her own experiences did little to prepare her for facing Sesshomaru. How unlike his brother the daiyoukai was!

" _Am I under your protection?"_ she had asked. They had been sitting there, opposite sides of the desk, for what seemed like an eternity.

He wasn't looking at her, focused as he was in writing on the parchment. Her curiosity of what he was writing was eating at her insides, but she didn't dare to ask. Besides, he had yet to answer her question.

Finally, he put the brush down and went through the process of folding and sealing the letter with his mark. Placing the sealed letter on his desk, he looked up and their eyes met. His eyes narrowed slightly, and Kagome couldn't tell if it was in irritation or something else. He didn't tilt his head and his voice never rose from that of a soft growl. "You ask whether I will protect you. Does your husband not provide such service?"

She frowned. "There isn't much in this day and age that I need protecting from, so he hasn't really had a chance yet," she replied. "But, I'm sure if it was necessary, he would."

"It should surprise me that Inuyasha didn't inform you of your coming child, however, it doesn't," he said, absently.

"Well, I don't think it really crossed his mind," she stated, defending the hanyou. "Bankotsu and I were in a bit of a rush this morning. We had to bring Banryu to school an…"

"Couldn't have been that much of a rush," the daiyoukai interrupted as he leaned back in his chair. "You still smell of this morning's festivities, miko. Unless your rush was because of said festivities."

She scoffed, pressing her hand on her chest. "How dare you!" she reprimanded. "What Bankotsu and I do is none of your business."

He gave a single nod. "And you have proven my point," he pointed out.

"But that – I didn't – That doesn't answer my question," she sputtered, folding her arms in front of her chest and glaring at him.

He laced his fingers together and leaned forward. "What exactly are you asking?" he questioned as his golden eyes bore into hers.

She wrinkled her nose. "You said that you didn't care about a human's life unless they were under your protection," she grumbled.

He gave a single nod. When he said nothing, waiting for her to continue, she scoffed. "I asked if I was one of those humans under your protection," she said. "Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "You have both a husband and my idiotic brother," he replied calmly, though she could see the impatience in his eyes. "Are they really so incompetent that you would need my protection as well?"

"Of course not!" she hissed. "But…" She sighed as she rested in her chair and broke eye contact. "You almost made it sound as though I would."

"Your husband will be working for me starting today," he told her. "He will have a weekly salary equating the sum I had given him yesterday. That should be enough money to buy the two of you a secured home in which to raise your children. If he builds it correctly, he'll even be able to install the latest in home security systems." He caught her eyes with his again. "You'll be safe, Kagome. However, if you wish to be even more protected, I can help you with your priestess training. I assume that these years have weakened your abilities."

"I'm not exactly pure anymore, Sesshomaru," she pointed out. "I have a child, am pregnant with another, and I'm married to a contracting murderer. I don't know if I could even draw upon those abilities anymore."

There it was. That dog-like tilt of the head like Inuyasha would do at times when something caught him off guard. "Marriage and children have no effect on your purity," he commented. "Even if your husband is a trained assassin. _You_ are not. Despite all that happened during the time you were around us in the past, you still maintain an air of innocence. You help people and are kind to others, even those who do not deserve it. What's more, you're teaching your son the same mannerisms. What you lack is belief in yourself, which, forgive me if I'm wrong, was what you lacked during that time as well."

Any anger she felt towards the daiyoukai fell like a dead weight as her jaw dropped and she stared at him. Did he just compliment her? _Sesshomaru_? She blinked rapidly. "I…" she stammered as she tried to collect her thoughts. "Wel… wait. _You_ could show me?"

He pressed his lips together. "Not personally," he corrected. "However, I do know someone, a priestess like yourself, who could help you. Like you, she married a man with a questionable history and bore him children as well. The children are grown and living their own lives now, but, like you, she had taught them how to be compassionate, understanding, and kind citizens. Because of this, her children have managed to surpass their own father in many things."

Suddenly eager, she moved to the edge of her seat. "Would you introduce me to her? I mean, may I meet her, please?"

He picked up the letter he had been writing and pressed the button on his phone. "Yes, Mr. Taisho?" came the female voice.

"Kimi, I have a missive I need sent out," Sesshomaru said as he hit the end call button.

In less than a second, the secretary entered the office to take the letter. Sesshomaru pointed at it. "Make sure she gets this as quickly as you can. I will not have her surprised by what she would consider unexpected guests."

"Yes, Mr. Taisho," the demoness said as she bowed to him and quickly departed.

The daiyoukai waited to ensure the demoness was gone before glancing at Kagome again. "Taikoshi should be returning soon," he offered. "Once he and your husband have, I would suggest the two of you go home and change into appropriate dinner clothing. You'll return here at seven and I will bring you to my manor."

"What about the lady you want me to meet?" she asked, a bit perturbed.

"She'll be joining us for dinner," came his answer.

(II)(II)

Bankotsu let out a low, long whistle as Kagome stepped out of the bathroom. At her blush, he smirked and pushed himself up off the bed. Approaching her, he was quick to slip one hand along her waist and another to cup her cheek. "You look ravishing, my love," he whispered against her lips before kissing her gently.

The kimono she wore was almost a replica to the clothes he used to wear. The white, silken cloth was decorated with blue etchings with a red obi wrapped around her waist. The blue had even started at her neck and hung off her left shoulder. Breaking the kiss, he looked down, licking his bottom lip at the tantalizing display before him. The kimono, like most kimonos should, stopped at her ankles and framed her waist perfectly.

"I didn't know women still wore kimonos in this era," he commented, taking a step back, but not releasing her.

Kagome dipped her head shyly. "They're usually reserved for formal affairs," she admitted. "Though some still wear them all the time."

He kissed her forehead as his hand slipped behind her neck. "You should wear them all the time," he told her. "You look amazing and proper. Just as I would imagine my wife to look."

Her blush deepened as he stepped away from her and turned to fix his own obi. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw what he was wearing. "Where did you get that from?" she asked as she took in the hakama and haori. Like her clothes, there were blue accents in his haori and he had a red obi tied about his waist. All that was missing was his armor.

He raised an eyebrow as he stepped in front of the mirror. "Taikoshi had given it to me," he told her. "When we were watching the new demons practice, I had told him that I was missing my old clothing from the Feudal Era. He asked me for a description and had one of the lesser demons fetch me what I desired. Not a bad guy, if I say so myself." He turned to look at her and smirked again. "We'll make an attractive pair, you and I. Completely in sync with one another, too."

Her face dropped as she moved to her vanity. She picked up her paint brush and stared into the mirror before putting it back down. She had already put her makeup on in the bathroom before she had put on her kimono. Her hair was already done as well.

Bankotsu's hands dropped upon her shoulders and she glanced up, meeting the reflection of his eyes. "Perhaps we can get Banryu a haori like mine? And some hakamas, too," he suggested. "I'm sure he would appreciate it."

Kagome gave him a soft smile. "Banryu already looks so much like you, though," she pressed. "If you're not careful, he'll surpass you even in that area." The truth was, the idea of Banryu wearing his father's clothes frightened her more than the miko cared to admit. At least, out loud.

Her words had the desired effect on the mercenary, however. He grunted a little and kissed the top of her head. "He won't ever surpass me," Bankotsu stated assuredly. "Even if he were to, it wouldn't be for a long time from now."

Kagome's smile faltered as the mercenary turned away from her. She really was glad that he had returned to her. She was glad that he was here to be a father to Banryu because she knew her son needed him. However, a part of her wondered if perhaps Inuyasha would have done well for Banryu. He had already been there for all of Banryu's firsts thus far. She met her own gaze in the mirror and internally sighed.

No. Having Bankotsu here for Banryu's life was a good thing. Another man could never replace Banryu's father, no matter how much Inuyasha had tried to fill in the void. Banryu had known he was missing something. And Kagome had never seen her son react in the way he had when Bankotsu came back into their lives.

She dropped a hand to her stomach. Learning she was pregnant again terrified her. Kagome remembered the months leading up to Banryu's birth. Though they say that the second child is so much easier than the first, it still worried her to think of what would happen to this new child.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Banryu squealed as he threw open the door. Kagome twirled in her seat as the boy stopped mid-bound. "Oops!" he said as he stepped back out of the room and shut the door again. Both adults listened as the child's feeble knock sounded.

Bankotsu grinned. "You may come in, Banryu," he said.

The child opened the door, far more gently this time, and walked calmly into the room. "I'm sorry, Daddy, for barging in like that," he was quick to apologize as he bowed his head.

"It's alright, son," Bankotsu said as he crossed the room and knelt before the boy. Tilting his head, he touched Banryu's chin and continued, "You're getting better, though I could have sworn I had instructed you not to bow your head." Cobalt eyes met cobalt eyes as he murmured. "You are Shimazu. We bow to no one, my son. We walk with our heads held high in pride."

"Shimazu?" Banryu questioned. "But I thought we were Higurashi."

The mercenary gave a small snort. "That was only because I had kept our name from your mother," he pointed out. "I suppose I should be the one to apologize to you for the deception. Only, I didn't think I'd ever be back, so I didn't see the point in giving that burden to her to bear without myself to guide her."

Banryu smiled and reached out to touch Bankotsu's cheek. "I forgive you, Daddy," he said with ease. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know and you were only trying to help Mommy be the best Mommy she could be."

Bankotsu's smile grew as he moved to stand up. At the last possible moment, he swung his son into the air and buried his face in Banryu's stomach, making the child giggle as he struggled. Kagome stood as she smiled, watching father and son play with one another.

Yes. Having Bankotsu in his son's life was the wisest decision. Kagome just hoped it continued to be such.

(III)(III)

Kagome slapped Banryu's hand away from his collar again. "Leave it alone," she hissed to him, growing a bit annoyed as she kept having to stop him.

"But I don't like it," the boy complained. "Why can't I wear what Daddy's wearing?"

Bankotsu touched the boy's shoulder. "Just soldier through it tonight, son," he said. "We'll get you more suitable clothing later, I promise."

Kagome frowned at her husband. "He needs to learn how to wear a suit and tie," she whispered to him. "Haori were fine during the Feudal Era, but these days, he'll look like a joke to the wrong people."

The mercenary gave her a measured look. "Do you think I look like a joke, my miko?"

She scoffed. "Of course, not," she hissed, "but I know you. I've seen the things you can do. Banryu is still a child. He doesn't know the first thing about wielding a halberd or how to kill someone."

"Cool!" the boy yelled. "Can you really do that, Daddy?"

"Shhh!" Kagome snapped as Bankotsu chuckled.

"Yes, but we must be quiet," the mercenary stated as he pulled his son closer to him.

With one hand holding his son in place, Bankotsu reached out for the long cord with the other hand and pulled. They listened as the bells rang throughout the building. Within moments, a young fox demon answered the door. "I'm sorry, but we're closed for business at this time," the demon said politely before moving to shut the door again.

"We're here to meet with Taisho Sesshomaru," Kagome spoke up. "We were told to meet him here."

The name was enough to cause the demon to freeze in his tracks. Pulling the door back open, he bowed to the small family with a blush. "Hai, hai, forgive me!" he squeaked. "Sesshomaru-sama had told us he was expecting you, but I had forgotten. Please, follow me."

The demon led the trio to Sesshomaru's office. Banryu's eyes had grown to the size of large saucers and his head was darting all over the place, trying to take everything in. Bankotsu had to keep a firm hand wrapped around the child's hand to prevent him from running off. "You're going to get yourself into trouble," came the mercenary's warning as his son managed to slip out of his grasp again.

"Inuyasha usually has him thrown over his shoulder by now," Kagome commented.

The mercenary glared at his wife. "I better not ever catch that half-breed throwing my son over his shoulder," he growled.

She sighed. "He only does it when Banryu is being particularly unruly," she defended with a click of her tongue. "You would, t – Banryu! Get back over here!" she hissed, glaring at the boy. "Now!"

The child giggled as he bounded away from the suit of samurai armor that stood proudly in the hallway as a silent sentinel. As he tried to run past his parents, Bankotsu snapped a hand out and grabbed the boy by the tie he wore. Banryu struggled, trying to grab at his father's hand as Bankotsu picked him up by the collar and glared at him.

"Your mother and I both told you to stop," the mercenary snarled as their eyes locked on one another. "If you make either of us repeat ourselves one more time, I swear you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

Tears leaked out of the boy's eyes as he continued to struggle. "Ye… yea…" he tried.

"Answer me correctly!" Bankotsu barked.

Kagome touched her husband's arm in concern. "Perhaps if you let go of his neck… Bankotsu, he can't breathe," she said, suddenly fearful for her son's life.

Indeed, the boy's face was starting to turn purple. With an angry growl, Bankotsu dropped the child onto the floor. Immediately, Banryu began coughing, leaning over as he tried to catch his breath. With narrowed eyes, Bankotsu stared at his son. "Are you done?" he demanded more than asked.

Banryu, still unable to speak yet, nodded as he continued to cough. He stood on wary legs as he tried to get his bearings back. Once Bankotsu was sure the boy was alright, he said one last time, "You will walk beside us. You will not run off and cause mischief. Do you understand, boy? I won't repeat myself again."

With tears in his eyes, Banryu stood up straight and tall, careful not to bow his head. "Hai, Daddy," he answered. "I understand."

The mercenary stared at his son a moment longer before giving a single nod. "Good. Let's go," he commanded, taking his wife's hand and returning to the trek towards Sesshomaru's office.

Banryu fisted a bit of Kagome's kimono and followed his parents quietly, doing his best to neither cry nor bow his head. Kagome glanced down at her son, her face filled with concern. She honestly had not expected Bankotsu to react that way, though it truly should not have surprised her. _He needs his father,_ she found herself thinking, though she wondered just how much of her thoughts were simply to reassure herself.

(IV)(IV)

Banryu gasped as they entered the office and he saw Sesshomaru for the first time. He dropped his mother's kimono as he stared at the daiyoukai, his mouth hanging open in awe. "Momma, look!" he said as he pointed at the dog demon.

Kagome gave her son a soft smile as she glanced at Sesshomaru, who was watching them curiously. "Banryu," she said softly, "This is Sesshomaru Taisho. He's…"

"Is that Uncle Inu's daddy?" he asked naively.

The miko slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her snort as Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "No, son, Sesshomaru is Inuyasha's half-brother," he corrected. He glanced at his wife. "And that wasn't a very ladylike sound, my dear."

"I do not align myself to that half breed," the daiyoukai said in a low growl.

Kagome shook her head as she closed her eyes. "After all these years," she commented with a sigh. She looked at the daiyoukai. "You haven't changed much, have you? Not truly at least."

He looked at her a moment before standing and walking around the desk. "You will find that very few people ever do change, miko," he stated calmly.

Banryu stared up at the daiyoukai. "Wow. You're tall," he said. The daiyoukai glanced down at the boy and Banryu hid behind his mother's leg.

Sesshomaru turned his attention back to the young couple. "Typically, I leave here late enough that I can simply fly home without being noticed. However, tonight, I will drive and you will follow me. I live on the outskirts of Tokyo, but it isn't too far of a drive," he told them. "Supper should be ready by the time we get there."

As if on cue, Banryu's stomach growled and the boy's face pinkened as he gave a little giggle. "Oops. Sorry," he said.

"You trust me enough to follow you to your home?" Kagome asked the daiyoukai, ignoring her son.

His eyes met hers. "If I didn't trust you to some extent, Kagome, we wouldn't be here tonight," he answered. "I haven't forgotten what you had meant to the war against Naraku, nor the part that you played. Were it not for you…" He let the rest of his sentence fall away as she clamped her mouth shut. She understood what he had meant.

Bankotsu's eyes gazed at his wife as he silently wondered exactly what she had done during the war. He would have to ask her about it later. Taking his son's hand, he allowed the daiyoukai to lead them out of the building.

Kagome blinked when she saw a sleek black car parked in front of hers. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked as they approached the two vehicles.

Sesshomaru gave her a look and she gasped. Banryu looked up at her. "What is it, Mommy?" he asked.

"A Mitsubishi GT," she murmured, pressing her fingertips to her lips. She looked at Sesshomaru. "Only so many of them were made. How did you…? Wait." She shook her head. "You're Sesshomaru. Of course, you would be able to afford one. With ease, too."

He gave her a single nod. "Would you like one, miko? I believe I can have one made in whatever color you like," he offered.

Her eyes widened as she just stared at him. "I…" she started, but couldn't finish. She shook her head again, squeezing her eyes shut. "No, no," she said. "I couldn't possibly."

Bankotsu looked at her curiously. "Do you not like the car?" he asked.

Her eyes shot open and she looked at him as though he had grown an extra head. "Of course, I like it," she said. "But, Bankotsu, do you have any idea how much…? No. It's too much." Her eyes fell upon the black car again. "It's beautiful, but I'd be too afraid to drive it."

Confused, Bankotsu glanced up at the daiyoukai. "Is it demon possessed?"

Kagome giggled at the absurdity of the question. "No. It just… There's a lot of horsepower in one of those babies," she explained.

This confused the mercenary even more. He stared at his wife. "There's a horse inside this machine? Somehow, I doubt that, Kagome…"

Even Banryu giggled at that as the miko shook her head. "I'll explain in the car. Let's just get to the manor," she promised. She glanced at Sesshomaru. "Inuyasha will die if he ever learned you owned that car."

Both the Daiyoukai and the mercenary gazed at the priestess. "Do not tease me, miko," Sesshomaru ordered after a moment when he gathered that she wasn't being serious. "Inuyasha's death at my owning a simple vehicle would be too easy. It would be an insult to our father's memory."

She giggled again as she opened the door to her own car for Banryu. The drive to Sesshomaru's manor was filled with the discussion of cars as Kagome explained about horse power and the different types of vehicles. Bankotsu listened with rapt attention, asking questions when he needed clarification. "I'll need to learn how to drive," he stated as they pulled up to the gate that led to the manor.

Kagome watched as a guard looked at her vehicle, then at Sesshomaru. She wasn't sure if either had spoken, for she was certain the daiyoukai's window had been rolled up. However, the dark gate opened silently and she followed the sports car into the grounds of the manor.

It was dark, for the sun had set, but there were lights along the driveway, giving the couple and their son a clear enough view of the haunted looking manor. Kagome felt as though her heart was clenching at the sight and a chill crept up her back.

"Mommy?" the little boy in the back seat whimpered.

"It's alright, baby," she assured him, sounding confident even though she felt anything but. "Remember how Uncle Inu is? Well, his brother isn't much different. Just older."

"And more powerful," Bankotsu added, his eyes gleaming in the lights of the lanterns that lined the driveway. "And darker. Not to mention, he's lived for hundreds of years now. Far long enough to gain a vast empire the likes that we'll never be able to have."

Kagome shot him an irritated look. "You're not helping."

"Does Uncle Inu's brother have any kids?" Banryu asked.

The miko bit her lower lip. "I don't know, honestly," she told him. "I suppose we'll find out when we go in."

She pulled her car next to Sesshomaru's, as directed by an usher. Once she had the car stopped, she turned to look at the boy. "Alright. Banryu, Mommy and Daddy needs you to be on your best behavior, alright?" she said. "This is Daddy's new boss, so we need to make a good impression. No running around and no getting into anything. Just stay close to Mommy, ok?"

With a grin, Banryu nodded. "Ok, Mommy. I'll be good."

Bankotsu glanced at his wife, wondering if she bought the kid's promise, but he said nothing as the small family got out of the vehicle. The usher took the keys from Kagome. "Whenever you're ready, ma'am, just let us know and we'll bring your car back," he instructed her.

"Thank you," she said with a kind smile as she rested her hand on the inside of Bankotsu's elbow.

Taking Banryu's hand with her free hand, Kagome let Bankotsu lead them as they followed Sesshomaru into the manor. The miko wasn't sure what she had expected of the daiyoukai and the place he called home. However, stepping into the manor, she wasn't overly surprised.

The floor was covered in a dark red velvet carpet that she knew had to take forever to clean. The walls were deep mahogany in color and shined as though recently polished. The entrance was large with a huge chandelier that looked to be dripping diamonds. Kagome briefly wondered if it truly was, but she didn't see any point in asking. Two staircases were tucked in the back of the room and swerved upward to what she assumed was Sesshomaru's personal rooms. There were double doors on either side of the entrance that had large dog demons carved into them. On either side of the door frames stood potted plants that Kagome identified as ficuses. Everything was uniformed and symmetric.

Suddenly, the door to the left opened and a beautiful young woman entered the foyer. "Lord Sesshomaru," she greeted the daiyoukai with a smile, not looking at the family. "I'm so happy that you are home."

She approached the dog demon and he cupped her jaw, dipping his head to kiss her lightly on the lips. "We have company," he told her as he pivoted on his heel to the family.

Kagome was gobsmacked. "Rin?" she asked, taking in the woman.

She was older. Taller, even, reaching Kagome's height and maybe even surpassing it. The miko wouldn't know unless she actually stood next to the girl. But there was no denying that it was Rin, that small little girl that Sesshomaru had as a ward during the Feudal Era.

Rin cocked her head. Her smile faltered a little as her brow wrinkled. "I'm sorry," she said. "Do I know you?"

"Remember, Rin," Sesshomaru said as he touched her back. "This is Shimazu Kagome. You would know her simply as Kagome, the human miko who was Inuyasha's companion during the Feudal Era. She helped us defeat Naraku."

The girl's eyes widened in memory. "Oh! Yes! I remember now," she said. She started to smile, but stopped. Looking up at the daiyoukai, she frowned. "But, my lord, she was a human. How did she survive and come to this era? Is she a sorceress?"

"I could ask the same of you," Kagome stated as she took a step towards the girl.

Rin looked at the miko. "My lord and I became mates once I was old enough," she explained. "I lived in Edo for a bit after Naraku died, but when I was old enough, Kaede asked me if I wanted to remain in the village or leave. Lord Sesshomaru had come to me and I didn't want to live without him. For a bit, I just traveled with him, like I had done as a child. But then we fell in love."

Kagome blushed a little. "Yes, but that was 500 years ago. You look as though you haven't aged a day aside from becoming an adult," she pointed out.

The girl grinned. "Have you been to his office?" she asked. "My lord still possesses Tenseiga. Totosai taught him a new technique that allowed him to bind my life with his. As long as he lives, so do I. And I won't age."

The miko frowned a bit at that and glanced at Sesshomaru. "Why didn't your father use that technique on Inuyasha's mother?" she questioned.

"He died while she was giving birth," the daiyoukai stated. "I doubt the idea had crossed his mind before it was too late. Even then, such a spell would have been dangerous for both of them, as his death would have meant hers as well, thus leaving Inuyasha an orphan."

Rin closed the distance between herself and the miko. They smiled at one another before Rin wrapped her arms around Kagome in a hug. Yes. They were the same height. Kagome returned the hug.

"So, now it's your turn," the girl said as they broke apart. "How are you here, Kagome? Like you said, that was 500 years ago."

Kagome briefly explained about her family's shrine and the well that they kept there. She explained about her son and how Inuyasha had returned with her to help her care for Banryu. Then, she touched Bankotsu's arm. "I'm not sure if you ever met, but this is Bankotsu," the miko said as she gazed up at him. "He's my husband and was the leader of the Band of Seven."

Rin frowned as she looked at the man. "I vaguely remember hearing about the Band of Seven," she said as she stared at him. "I know Kaede had spoken of them. And I sort of remember a man named Suikotsu. I think he was a doctor of some sort, but I might be wrong. I sort remember him chasing Jaken and me, trying to kill us, but that's a bit ambiguous, I think. Though later, when Lord Sesshomaru and I had created the hanyou middle and high schools, they became a part of the history lessons, but…" She turned her attention to the miko, "I would've thought you'd marry Inuyasha. You two had been so close and I know you loved him."

Bankotsu's eyes darkened at that. "She may have, but that all changed when I took her from him," he growled as he pulled the miko closer to him possessively.

Kagome gave the girl a sad smile. "It never would have worked between Inuyasha and me," she said. "At one point, I had wanted it to, because I thought it would have been best for Banryu. But…" she looked around suddenly. "Bankotsu? Where's our son?"

"I'm here, Mommy," the boy said, startling the miko.

The parents looked and saw Banryu standing a bit behind them. Rin's eyes lit up at the sight of him. "What a handsome young man!" she stated as she knelt before the child. "And who are you?"

"Banryu," he replied shyly as he half hid behind his mother.

Rin's smile widened. "What an awesome name! Hey, guess what? Maybe when the sky lights up I can take you to the playground in the gardens," she suggested. "We have a jungle gym and slide and some swings. And we also have some ponies if you want to go riding."

Banryu's face filled with excitement as he tugged on Kagome's kimono. "Can I, Mommy?" he asked.

Kagome bit her lower lip. "Well, you might have to ask your father about that one," she said.

Bankotsu frowned. "I've never heard of a jungle gym, but I don't see how that will be a problem," he stated. He glanced at the miko. "Is that some sort of training device?"

"Training?" Rin questioned.

Kagome gave the girl an apologetic look. "Bankotsu was recently resurrected by Hachiman, so his mindset is still in the Feudal Era," she explained. "He's still learning about this era."

"Oh!" Rin glanced up at Sesshomaru. "Is he my new bodyguard, then?"

The daiyoukai gave a single nod. "Once he's completed his training, you'll be allowed to go to Tokyo so long as he's with you," he told her.

Rin nodded as a serving girl entered the foyer to announce that supper was ready. The girl stood, offering her hand to Banryu. He glanced at his parents and, upon Kagome's nod of approval, he took Rin's hand as they went into the door to the left.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : In my Harry Potter stories, or at least the more recent ones, I took on the habit of responding to people who've reviewed my stories. Sadly, I sort of got lazy here, and for that, I am sorry. I want to start by saying thank you to both inugirl504 and MoonPrincess623 for your amazing reviews. :) Thank you for taking the time to let me know what you're thinking. :)

 **inugirl504** : Don't worry. I don't intend on this being an overly long story, so I'll be updating pretty regularly, though I won't commit to "once a week" or so, for that would set me up for failure. I am glad you're enjoying the story. And, yes, Bankotsu has his reasons for not revealing his real name. In the manga, or actually, it the books written about the manga, it was revealed that Bankotsu and his Band of Seven all forged new names for themselves when they created the group. Why? I'm not sure, though I can imagine it was to protect their identities... maybe. I will be reviewing this idea later on. :)

 **MoonPrincess623** : It is kind of funny that a god of supposed peace would resurrect a man known to create chaos, huh? Hmmm... Almost makes you wonder if it was really Hachiman or someone else... Also, I'm not entirely sure Kagome being pregnant again is a good thing. It will certainly make things interesting in the upcoming chapters, especially as her friends all learn of the child-to-be.


	10. Chapter 9

It had been three months since Kagome had been reintroduced to Rin. During that time, Bankotsu had almost completed the required training he needed in order to do the job Sesshomaru had asked of him. What was more, the steady money Bankotsu was making kept Kagome from finding a reason to work herself. They had decided to wait to tell Banryu about Kagome's pregnancy until Inuyasha blew up at her about it over dinner. She shouldn't have been surprised, if she was honest with herself. However, the hanyou's anger seemed to hurt her more than anything.

She had set Banryu's bowl in front of him before retrieving her own bowl and sitting down. The evening had been rather quiet, all things considered. Inuyasha and Shiori had kept to themselves and Bankotsu was just coming out of the bedroom, having gone in there to take a shower before joining his family for supper. Banryu was rather excited about school.

After much debate and arguing, Kagome finally agreed to allow Banryu to go to the hanyou school. She still had reservations about it, but the principal of the school had assured her that Banryu would be in good hands. It certainly looked like a nice school, and Banryu loved it.

She listened patiently as young boy went on about his day at the new school. He loved his teacher and, apparently, he had made a friend. "Can I invite him over one day, Momma?" he asked as he grabbed a bread roll. "I think you'll like him. He's got these wolf ears, not like Koga-sama, but more like… Well, like a wolf. Maybe like Uncle Inu's doggie ears, but he said his dad was a wolf demon like Koga-sama."

She gave him a soft smile. "I don't see how that would be a problem," she answered him once he had finished talking. "I'm so glad to hear you're making friends."

He nodding enthusiastically as he launched into another tale about his new friend. Kagome let him continue as her focus drifted elsewhere. Her eyes fell on Inuyasha and she froze for a moment. Uncertainty filled her gaze as she tried to determine if he was truly angry with her about something. "What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in concern.

The hanyou snorted. "So, we're just going to ignore the elephant in the room?" he growled. "Come on, Kagome," he taunted. "It's not like we can't smell you. Just come out with it."

Her brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?" she asked, frowning.

He pointed his chopsticks at her. "What do you think I'm talking about, stupid? You got yourself knocked up again, didn't you?"

"Watch how you speak to my wife, half-breed," Bankotsu warned, glaring at Inuyasha.

The hanyou sniffed. "As if I'm scared of you. I beat you once, corpse. I can do it again," he barked. "Is knocking her up the only way you figured you'd be able to keep her? We aren't living in the past anymore. People get divorces all the time, and it don't matter if you got children or not."

Kagome's eyes widened. "What makes you think I'm going to divorce him?" she asked, placing a hand on Banryu's shoulder.

Bankotsu glanced from the pair of hanyou to the miko, confused. "What exactly is this 'divorce'?" he questioned.

"It's when a Mommy and Daddy decide they don't love each other anymore," Banryu answered dejectedly. The adults in the room stared at the little boy and Kagome felt her heart clench. "They decide they don't want to be married anymore and so, they get a divorce. And then they meet other people." Banryu looked up at Kagome, tears filling his eyes. "Also, the Mommy usually takes the kids with her and they don't ever get to see their Daddy like they want to." He took in a ragged breath. "You love Daddy, don't you, Mommy? Please don't leave him."

Kagome wrapped her arms around the child and pulled him close to her. "Oh, baby, no," she cooed, resting her cheek against the top of his head. "No, no. You don't have to worry about that." She pulled away from him just a bit so she could tilt his head up to look at her. "I love your father very much and I have no intention of ever leaving him. Uncle Inu is just being a baka, that's all."

Inuyasha snorted, but looked away. He couldn't stand to see the child cry, but he still hated that Kagome was choosing Bankotsu.

The miko glared at the dog hanyou. "And what gives you that right, Inuyasha?" she asked. "Spouting such nonsense and filling Banryu's head with such thoughts. If something is bothering you, just spit it out, but don't you dare bring up any idea of my leaving Bankotsu, because it's not going to happen." She was angry with Inuyasha. Angrier than she had ever been with him.

He returned her glare. "Fine," he growled. "When are you planning to announce that thing growing inside you? We've been waiting for days now."

Kagome bit her bottom lip as Banryu wiped his eyes. "You got something inside you, Mommy? Where?" he asked, the tears drying in his curiosity.

"We were planning on telling everyone this weekend," the miko stated as she turned to the child. "But I suppose this is as good a time as any. Banryu, Daddy and I have some good news for you."

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed as he stared at the hanyou, though he leaned closer to his wife. He said nothing as his miko continued, "You're going to be a big brother! Isn't that wonderful?"

…

Only, it wasn't so wonderful, it seemed. Sure, Banryu was excited enough and Shiori spewed her congratulations. But Kagome could feel that the tension in the house had mounted to an almost unbearable height. So, while Bankotsu was at work, Kagome was busy looking through the classifieds to see if she could find a new home for her growing family.

Rin had expressed her delight when Kagome had finally told her. She had even offered to help Kagome look for a new home and, once his training was completely done, they could go with Bankotsu to scout some houses or land.

She sighed as she reached for her soda and took a sip. As she picked the paper back up to look through the classifieds again, she could feel someone's eyes on her. Glancing up, she saw Inuyasha sitting in the chair opposite her at the table. She jumped. "Inuyasha!" she gasped, clutching her chest. "You startled me. I… What's wrong?"

He looked away from her, focusing his eyes on a point on the wall. "I just…" he started and stopped. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the table. "We were good together, weren't we? Back then, when we were fighting Naraku and looking for the jewel shards. We didn't always get along, but… we were good together." His expression hardened, though he did not lift his eyes from the table. "We could still be good together. What happened, Kagome? How did it all go wrong?"

She stared at him, not quite comprehending what he was saying. When it dawned on her, her mouth dropped open slightly. "Inuyasha," she whispered. "I don't… I mean…"

He lifted his eyes to meet her gaze and she saw the sadness that had been buried so deep inside him. This hurt her more than the argument they had had. Her eyes softened as she let the paper fall to the table and reached out a hand to touch his. He dropped his eyes again to stare at their hands. He gripped her small hand lightly.

"I failed you," he growled, though there was no malice in his voice, just an excruciating amount of guilt. "I should have gone to your era and retrieved you instead of just letting you come back on your own. I'd always done that. Instead, I let my infatuation of an ex-girlfriend who had died fifty years prior take precedence over you." The air around him became so thick with his self-hatred that Kagome could have cut through it with a butter knife. "The one time I turned my back and you were taken from me."

"Inuyasha," she breathed again. "Inuyasha, I forgive you."

He scoffed as he snatched his hand away. "How could you, Kagome?" he asked, looking at her. "It was four months before we found you. Four! And all that time you were practically right under our noses."

"That wasn't your fault."

"Like Hell it wasn't," he bit back, heatedly. "We thought you had been taken by Naraku, but how could I have been so stupid? I should have put the pieces together sooner and realized you were with them. With him. That he had stolen you. But I was too wrapped up in the idea that it was Naraku. And now look at us." He waved a hand at her. "You were raped and impregnated by that monster. Even now, he still consumes your every thought and action."

She shook her head. "It's not like that, okay?" she argued. "Bankotsu is my husband and as such…"

He interrupted her with a huff. "Do you even listen to yourself? What has he done, Kagome? How exactly has he changed? The only claim he has to marriage to you is a piece of paper. He didn't do any of the work. He didn't court you. He had never met your family or asked for their permission. Your grandfather is probably rolling over in his grave over what's become of you."

"What's become of me?" she repeated. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

He gave her a mournful look, his worry for her clear on his face. "He's hit you. You can deny it, but I know he's done it. I've heard him. And some of the nights when you have sex, I know he's raping you again. The only reason I don't barge into your room is because Shiori stops me."

It was her turn to look away. "How do you know I don't deserve it? I'm sure you've heard us fighting as well," she said.

"Because I know you, Kagome," he said, reaching out to her again. She let him take her hand into his. "You were always strong, both in mind and body, but you have never done anything to deserve being raped or beaten. You don't deserve his abuse."

She looked down at their clasped hands. She remembered the Feudal Era. She remembered the few times he had held her hand, much like he was doing now. Life was simple then. Even after Bankotsu had died and she had given birth to Banryu. Even while they were fighting Naraku. For that small time, she had felt alive. She had felt safe. She still felt safe.

"Bankotsu never hurts me," she told him. "Not truly. We argue, of course. All married couples argue at some point."

"Every night?" he countered. "Kagome, ever since he's been back, the two of you have gotten into shouting matches more often than you and I ever fought. You don't even have your job anymore because he purposely went in there and made a big scene, something even I would never have done. That's saying something, too, because I hated your job. But I knew what it meant to you."

She gave him a small smile. "He's just looking out for me," she lightly defended. "I am pregnant now and my focus should be on this child and ensuring he or she is born healthy."

He gave her a dubious look. "If he was looking out for you, he wouldn't feel the need to rape you all the time."

"He doesn't rape me all the time," she argued. "He hasn't truly raped me since that second month that he had me captured."

"Just because you're married, doesn't mean it's not rape," he growled. He looked at her curiously. "I've listened to your arguments. There have been times when you've told him 'no' and he's done it anyway. That's rape, Kagome."

She frowned as her eyes hardened. "And what do you want me to do about it if it is? I'm not leaving him. He needs me. Banryu needs him. We're trying to build a life together after all this time. To give Banryu a proper family, and we have a baby on the way," she explained as she leaned back in her seat.

Inuyasha squared his jaw. He couldn't for the life of himself understand why she was defending the bastard so much. However, he knew how stubborn Kagome could be once she had her mind set. "Is it true that Sesshomaru is giving you miko lessons?"

Surprised, she stared at him. "How do you know about that?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly.

The hanyou shrugged. "Shiori and I go to I.F.A.D a lot. I've been attending the classes there and I've heard talk. I know Bankotsu has been going there for training," he admitted. "Sesshomaru gave him some job, right? There's also been talk that he's offered to continue your miko training. I'm curious about that because I didn't think he could train you given that he's a demon, and a daiyoukai at that."

Kagome felt the tension leave her shoulders. "He's not," she replied. "Actually, you'll be surprised by this, but… Rin is training me."

Inuyasha's ears perked up at that and he looked at her. "Rin? As in that little human girl who used to follow Sesshomaru everywhere? How is that possible?"

Her eyes filled with wonder as she was still amazed by the whole concept. "They're mated," she responded. "Totosai had taught Sesshomaru this new technique with the Tenseiga that allowed him to bind Rin's life force with his own. As long as he's alive, she will be, too. And, from what she's told me, she hasn't physically aged since he bonded her to him. Well, at least, not truly. She ages with him."

The hanyou fell back in his chair. "So, he actually got married to a human," he commented softly. He chuckled at the thought. "For such a righteous wanna be pure and continue a pure line, he sure doesn't give much of a damn, does he? He's fallen right in our father's footsteps and doesn't even realize it."

"He's happy," she stated with a shrug. "We can't really fault him for that and he really loves her."

He nodded slowly, still chuckling as he glanced at the papers she had been perusing. He stopped when he realized what they were. "Kagome," he started as he pulled the classifieds to himself, "these are land ads. Why are you looking at land ads?"

She frowned as she snatched the paper from him. "I was looking to see what was on sale to buy. Bankotsu wants to build a home for us for when the baby arrives."

"You're moving?" he asked, a sense of dread crawling up his spine like ice.

She nodded patiently. "We can't stay here," she told him. "There will be four of us and I know you and Shiori will want to start a family soon, if you decide to stick together. If we were to stay here, we'll become crowded."

Inuyasha's heart rate sped up as fear began to take hold of him. "But if you leave… Have you decided where you're moving to yet?"

She shook her head. "Though he wants us to get some land in the country, like Sesshomaru has. Something where we can have our privacy," she said.

"No," he whispered gruffly. "No, Kagome. You can't." He shook his head as he stood up.

"Inuyasha…"

"No!" he barked. "No, you don't understand. If you move to the country, I won't be able to protect you from him." He walked around the table and knelt in front of her. "Don't you see? You'll be putting yourself and Banryu in a very dangerous position."

"He's my husband," she spat. "And he's Banryu's father. Bankotsu would never hurt us."

"He's also a murderer, or have you forgotten that?" Inuyasha growled. "He's already raped you. He has little to no regard for life. You didn't hear that last conversation we had before I killed him at Mount Hakurei. He loves killing, Kagome. People like him… they don't change. Especially not so soon."

"Hachiman resurrected him for a reason," she insisted. "And he is changing."

Inuyasha had felt fear when he learned that Kagome had been abducted and he couldn't find a trace of her anywhere. But that was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. "Please," he whimpered. "Don't move. The house next door is up for sale right now. Shiori and I can buy that house and you can stay here. We'll move, but we'll be next door. There's no reason for you to uproot. Not only are you close to Banryu's school here, but you're close to family. Your mom and Sota would miss you if you left."

"It's not like I'm going to drop off the face of the earth," she said. "Bankotsu wants to build a house himself. Something about being a shogun, even though I told him that shoguns weren't a thing anymore. I think he was impressed with Sesshomaru's home."

"Will you at least consider my suggestion?" he inquired.

She looked at him, contemplating his idea. "I can talk it over with Bankotsu and see what he thinks," she conceded.

It wasn't what he wanted by a long shot, but it was a start.

(II)(II)

Sesshomaru watched behind bulletproof glass as Bankotsu shot another round into his targets. The daiyoukai was impressed. After the human had learned to drive, Sesshomaru had worked on getting him everything he needed to become a full citizen of Japan. He had even set up a bank account for the mercenary and started teaching him about the new laws regarding finances. Turned out, Bankotsu had already known the basics and had just needed more upgraded information. Five hundred years had been a long time and so much had changed in Japan since then.

Along with the weapon and finance training, Sesshomaru had also begun teaching him about the other things that had become common for Japan. The daiyoukai had hired an English tutor. If Bankotsu did well with Rin, the dog demon had plans to see how he would do at managing a small business and he would need to know English. It was sheer luck for Sesshomaru that Bankotsu had already been versed in Mandarin.

"He's doing well," the demon beside Sesshomaru said.

The daiyoukai didn't respond right away, though he agreed. His expression hardened as he saw Bankotsu become frustrated when he ran out of bullets. The target had been destroyed and yet the mercenary was still trying to "kill" it. "He's passionate about killing," the daiyoukai observed. "Perhaps a bit too passionate. We need to work on this more. I don't want Rin to fall victim to his desire to dispatch out of anger."

"I don't think he'd become angry at Rin for anything," the demon reassured his lord. "But, if you like, I can have him take a class in the art of zen. He's already pretty self-disciplined without it, though. I will recommend that he builds a shrine on the land he buys. With his wife being a priestess, it will be beneficial as they will need a place where they can meditate and reflect."

"I've already spoken to Kagome about it," Sesshomaru stated. "She wants a small temple or shrine herself. Perhaps like the one that Rin has."

The lesser demon nodded as he tapped on the glass. Bankotsu glanced up at the two demons and the lesser demon waved at him to return to them. They watched as the mercenary holstered his gun and marched around the glass to meet them on the other side.

"That's all for today, Bankotsu-sama," the demon said with a smile. "Tomorrow I'm going to set the targets to move and tonight I am enrolling you in a zen class."

Bankotsu huffed. "I don't need a zen class," he replied. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly an excitable kind of guy. For the most part, I'm mellow. And besides that, I already know the techniques."

"And you practice them regularly?" Taikoshi asked.

"Do you want me to?" the mercenary countered as he unstrapped his weapon belt and handed it to the demon.

The lesser demon glanced at Sesshomaru and nodded. "I think it would be best," he answered. "For an hour in the morning and perhaps another hour at night before bed."

The mercenary frowned, but nodded. "Consider it done," he said. "It will give me an opportunity to teach it to my son as well. If anyone could use calming techniques, it's him." He smirked at that and Taikoshi chuckled.

"Perhaps some time I could invite you and your family over for dinner," the lesser demon suggested. "Something tells me that your boy would get along well with my sons."

"If they're kids, I have no doubt that they'd get along," Bankotsu commented as they walked back into the main hub of the I.F.A.D.

Taikoshi smiled. "Naturally," he replied. "I wouldn't have suggested otherwise."

Bankotsu gave a short, respectful bow. "I shall speak to Kagome and I will let you know," he promised as Taikoshi handed him a small cellphone. The mercenary gazed down at the phone curiously.

"I took the liberty of programming it with the numbers to the people you would most likely contact the most," the demon stated. "I've no doubt that Kagome-sama will be able to give you a brief education on its use, unless she has already done so?"

The mercenary turned the odd device over in his hand. "Hai," he commented distractedly. Glancing up, he nodded. "She's already shown me a bit, though I haven't actually used one."

The demon smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bankotsu-sama," he said as he and Sesshomaru turned away.

Bankotsu could feel the miko come up next to him as he fiddled with the new device.

"What's that?" she asked curiously as she looked over his shoulder at it. "Who gave you a phone?"

The mercenary looked up in the direction the two demons had disappeared. "Taikoshi," he answered. "I wonder if this is a matter of trust or control." His eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed back down at the device.

His arm was pulled by the miko towards the doors as she piped, "It could be. Sesshomaru is being awfully nice to you. Though I don't know why he would want to control you, but I do know that he trusts me. So, maybe he's starting to trust you as well? I mean, if he didn't, he certainly wouldn't be training you to watch after Rin."

Bankotsu looked at his wife. "My training is almost complete," he told her. "And we have enough money to seek land for a home. Have you found a suitable plot?"

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "It's not from lack of trying, though," she assured him. "I'm still wondering, though, if us moving out would be the best idea. Our neighbors are wanting to move out and Inuyasha has offered to buy their home and move next door. It would give us the home we live in and Banryu wouldn't be uprooted. At the same time, Inuyasha and Shiori wouldn't live with us anymore."

"No, he'll just live next door," the mercenary pointed out. "Which means that he might as well live with us because he'll be over every day. We'll still end up sharing meals with him as well. No. Kagome, I know the idea of leaving Inuyasha scares you, but we need our own home." He slipped the phone into his pocket and took her hands into his, stopping before the car. Touching her cheek with the back of one hand, his cobalt eyes met hers. "You don't need him to protect you anymore. You have me. I won't ever let anything happen to you. I love you."

She leaned into his touch. "I know," she whispered. "I love you, too. I've just never been without him. It'll be strange."

He gave her a soft, understanding smile. "Yes, I know, but we are a growing family," he reasoned. "Soon we're going to need the space and he will just get in the way. Like you said, this isn't the Feudal Era anymore. We don't have to worry about some random bandits coming to our home to rob and kill us. And even if they tried, they would be dead before they even had the chance."

And she believed him. At least, she knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill a thief or potential murderer. "What about when you're out with Rin? People are a lot smarter these days, too," she pointed out.

He shrugged as though it was a non-issue. "We'll have a security system. Sesshomaru has promised to have the best system installed in our home. So, if an unwanted intruder does attempt to come to our home, you'll still be safe," he replied. Dropping her hands, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Now, let's get home so we can eat. I don't know about you, but I am famished. And we still have to pick up Banryu from school."

(III)(III)

Koga watched from the window as the woman he loved sat at the dining table with her marker in one hand and the daily paper in the other. He wondered if she knew how adorable she looked as she stuck out her little pink tongue and stared at the paper in concentration.

"What are you doing here, fleabag?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up to the wolf and turned to look in the direction he was looking.

Koga frowned. "I just wanted to see her," he commented.

Inuyasha knew where the wolf demon was coming from. He remembered many a night where he sat in her room or beside her by the campfire and just watched her sleep. It had been such a simple life they had. "She's pregnant again," he said. "And the corpse is wanting to buy land outside of Tokyo where they can raise their family. Alone."

Koga glanced at the half demon. "Tell me you tried to talk Kagome out of it," he growled.

The hanyou's eyes narrowed at the comment. "I did," he admitted. "But Bankotsu is her husband, so she does whatever he tells her."

"Damn it!" Koga snapped. "What about the corpse then? Have you tried talking some sense into him?"

Inuyasha gave him a bored look and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because we both know how well that would work," he said sarcastically. "I even offered to move to the house next door and let them keep this one.

Koga's eyes filled with worry. "Inuyasha, we can't let them move somewhere they'll be alone. He'll end up killing her," he warned.

The half breed closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I don't know what choice we have," he murmured.

Koga turned his attention back to the miko. "I have an idea," he said. "I don't know if they'll go for it, but if we play our cards right, they might just accept it." The wolf and dog made eye contact as the wolf said, "Follow my lead and trust me for a moment, all right?"

Curious, Inuyasha tilted his head, but followed as Koga decided to enter the house. Koga continued to the table as Inuyasha hung back, watching the scene with his arms crossed over his chest. The wolf vaulted over the table and crouched next to the miko.

"What'cha doin', Kagome?" he asked nonchalant.

Her eyes swirled up to his before falling back onto the paper. "Wishing you wouldn't jump over my table," she answered. She sighed and sat back. "I'm trying to find land. Bankotsu wants to build us a home, our own home, and he wants to do it somewhere in the country, but these places are all far too expensive."

Koga joined her in looking at the paper as his brow creased as he thought. "You know," he said after a moment. "I might have something for you. How much land are we talking about?"

She looked up at him. "Bankotsu wants enough land so we can build a nice sized house with room for a garden and somewhere that he can train," she told him. "And we were talking about having a temple where I can do my meditations."

Koga smiled. "Well, I might have just the place," he answered. "It has a nice view, too, and I think there's even a sacred tree there as well, so you'll have a spot for your miko stuff."

She looked hopeful. "What is the price on it?" she asked.

At this, Koga's smile faltered. "I'd have to talk to the owner," he admitted. "What's your price range?"

Kagome looked anxious and weary. "With the money I've saved and what Bankotsu has, plus the extra that Sesshomaru keeps giving him… Well, if Sesshomaru keeps giving him money, we should have nearly 900 by the end of the year," she said.

Inuyasha's ears perked up. "Why is Sesshomaru giving him money?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Bankotsu works for him now," she explained. "He gets ten thousand every week for training and I think when he actually starts working, Sesshomaru is going to give him twenty."

Koga gave a low whistle. Honestly, it still didn't help the wolf, but he could work with this. "Tell you what," he offered. "I can take you and your husband to this land. I know the guy who owns it. We're talking 21,000 square meters. If the two of you like it, I can get you a steal on the land. He's really wanting to sell it."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Where do you find that much land available in Japan?" she asked.

Koga smirked. "Trust me, sweetheart. You'll love it," he promised. If Inuyasha couldn't convince the couple to continue living in this house, perhaps Koga could convince them to move into the heart of wolf territory… That way, they'd be alone while the wolf would still be able to keep an eye on the love of his life.

Kagome stared at him as she thought it through. "That much land must be expensive," she wondered aloud.

The wolf huffed. "I doubt it. I mean, sure, if you're some ordinary human. But," he leaned against the table. "You aren't an ordinary human, are you? You're Kagome Shimazu. What's more, you're friends with demons, particularly demons who have great connections." He threw her a smile. "You ain't got nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I got your back. We both do," he concluded, waving a hand at Inuyasha.

The dog hanyou grunted his agreement. Kagome offered her own smile as she put her highlighter down. "Bankotsu is due back soon," she told them. "I can talk to him and see what he says."

Koga gave a single nod. "Let me know what he says," he said as he pushed himself up. "I have to get back to my pack. I'll see you later, Kagome."

"See you later, Koga," she replied as she stood and went into the kitchen to begin making dinner.

Inuyasha followed the wolf out the front door. "So, what's your plan?" he asked.

Koga paused and turned to look at him. "I don't trust that mercenary," he admitted with a furrow of his brow. "He raped Kagome repeatedly and I believe he's convinced her to sympathize with him. Mark my words, mutt, if he's able to get her completely alone, he will end up killing her. Maybe not on purpose, but it will happen."

The younger man frowned as he folded his arms. "That doesn't tell me what you plan to do about it. You boasted about having a plan, something that would keep her safe. What it is?"

"I'll need to speak with your brother," the wolf leader stated. "I'll need his backing to convince the mercenary to take the land I'm offering."

"You said you knew a guy."

The demon nodded. "Yeah. I do. He's me," he told him. At Inuyasha's shocked look, the demon scoffed. "Don't look so surprised mutt. I've been around for a hell of a lot longer than you have. And I'm the leader of the wolf demon nation. After you and Kagome had gone through the well that final time, Shippo sought me out. He told me about where you had both gone. I wasn't really wanting to believe him at first, but that monk and demon-slayer backed him up. I knew I'd see you both again in 500 years, so I continued my life, keeping my rank and acquiring land as needed. As time went on and many of my pack either died of old age, disease, or murder, I even reduced some of the land I owned, keeping a certain amount aside for Kagome for whenever I saw her again."

Inuyasha frowned. "You had planned this all along, hadn't you, fleabag?"

Koga sniffed. "I don't know how much you think I planned. I sure as hell wasn't counting on that asshole coming back to life. However, I was planning on wooing Kagome myself. Offering to help her take care of her kid and maybe, just maybe, she would decide to mate with me, become my wife."

"So, you've been waiting for her this whole time? For all you knew, she and I could've…"

"But you didn't," Koga pointed out. He looked at the hanyou inquisitively. "Why didn't you, by the way? You've had every opportunity. Seven years just you, her, and the boy. You could have easily made her yours. What held you back?"

Inuyasha glanced back at the door. Pursing his lips, he walked further out towards the road. Curiosity alone caused Koga to follow him. Once they were at what Inuyasha deemed a safe enough distance, the hanyou sighed. "Kagome hasn't been the same since she was kidnapped. I don't know what that dick did to her, but…" He looked at the wolf hopelessly. "For the longest time, he was all she ever talked about. There were nights when I would hear her crying over him. Sometimes she would fall asleep on the couch and I'd catch her whispering his name. About a year after us being in this world, I learned that there were such things called psychiatrists. I suggested she see one, but she told me she was fine."

Koga growled, "Why didn't you insist?"

"Seriously? Koga, you know how she is. Since Banryu was born, she's become even worse," the hanyou acknowledged.

Koga stared at the half demon. "I'll speak to your brother. If he agrees, we'll get her the help we need. And, hopefully, we'll get her away from that predator before it's too late."

As the demon turned away, Inuyasha barked, "Don't expect him to help us, Koga. He's been known to do things in spite of me and from what Kagome has told me, he likes that carcass."

(IV)(IV)

Koga stood silently in the pristine office. His eyes wandered over the various artifacts, resting momentarily on the Tenseiga before moving on to others. He had known that Sesshomaru had traveled a lot. After the second World War, the daiyoukai had even gone to America to expand his businesses. It was a smart move, one that Koga had mimicked some twenty years later. Despite living the life of a nomadic wolf, Koga was pretty well endowed… well, as far as money was concerned, that was.

Sesshomaru entered the office, calmly walking to the fireplace. "Have a seat, Koga-sama of the East," he said, giving the wolf a respectful nod of his head to indicate the two armchairs which sat in front of the fireplace.

"Arigato," the wolf replied as he took the seat facing the daiyoukai.

For a moment, neither said anything as the little imp demon ran around them, pouring cups of sake and placing a plate of sweet meats on a small table between them. "Leave, Jaken," the dog demon ordered.

Koga paid little attention to the imp as he groveled at the daiyoukai's feet. The wolf took a sip of his sake, letting the cool liquid soothe him. The cackling of the fire, the slow creep of the alcohol. It was peaceful. After a moment, the wolf heard the door to the office shut and he knew the imp was gone. "This is good sake," he commented, licking his lips and taking another sip.

Sesshomaru neither agreed nor disagreed with him, but that didn't faze Koga. It wasn't the first time they had spoken, so he knew the daiyoukai's character. "What has Inuyasha said?" he asked, cutting right to the chase.

Taking a piece of chocolate and popping it in his mouth, Koga told Sesshomaru about the conversation he had with the hanyou, as well as his plans for Kagome's land. "The land already belongs to her," he rounded out, "but I know she won't take it if she thinks it's charity. Nor will she take it if she knows it's my gift to her."

"Is it your gift?" Sesshomaru asked, staring into the flames. He took a sip of his own sake.

Koga cast his eyes away a moment. "It was meant to be her wedding present," he admitted.

The daiyoukai glanced at the younger demon. In many ways, they were equal, but in others they weren't. Sesshomaru was older than Koga, certainly, but that wasn't saying a lot. He remembered a time when their parents would get together and discuss the Warring States of Men. Sesshomaru was older, but they did spend some time together, even then. "Why haven't you? She's married now…" he halted as the full meaning of the wolf's remark hit him. "You planned on taking her as your own."

The younger demon wrinkled his nose. "I still plan on taking her as my own," he pointed out.

"And the corpse? She'll have his second child soon enough."

Koga gave him a sidelong glance. "At least I know she can bear children. She's fertile," he said with a smirk.

Sesshomaru lifted a single brow. "That does not mean she will bear your fruit, old friend," he reasoned. "You've been obsessed with her since the days of Naraku. Koga, she's wrapped around that corpse now."

"He raped her, Sesshomaru! Consistently!" Koga growled. "He kept her locked in a manor in the mountains and raped her repeatedly until she gave in. He did it so much that even after seven fucking years, she still goes to him and leans on him. There's something wrong with her and, according to your brother, she refuses to see someone about it."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He didn't really care to be spoken down to, but as the youkai's words sunk in, combined with what he had observed on his own, he could see what that which the wolf spoke. "And the land can offer her protection because, as humans, neither Kagome nor Bankotsu will ever know you were there," he sighed as he sat back in his chair.

" _Am I under your protection?"_

Her words echoed in the daiyoukai's mind. "She is human, therefore her death in inevitable," he surmised. "If she dies by his hand, you could kill him in her defense and she would be completely free of him once and for all."

"Are you sure about that?" Koga asked. "We thought she was free of him the last time he died. Hell, she never should have even met him to begin with because he should have stayed dead the first time he died."

Sesshomaru drummed his fingers on his armrest. It had been a habit he had picked up some time in the early 1980s during his short stay in England. He wasn't exactly quick to quell it, either. "He's said that it was Hachiman who had resurrected him this time, and I've been watching him in training. He's a fast learner."

"He's also a descendant of samurai," Koga pointed out. "Kagome's told me that he has been training his entire life, or at least until he ran off and started his Band of Seven."

The daiyoukai met the youkai's eyes. "You'll need to figure out how to get past Hachiman," he deduced. "And you'll need to find some way to open her eyes back up. Rin has indicated the same as you have about Kagome. The miko believes her powers are being held back because she's married with children. We both know better."

Koga raised a brow. "He can't hold back her powers. He's not the Shikon no Tama."

"No, but her fear can. As can her lack of belief in herself, which can be caused from the trauma you've described. Rin has started the process, but this isn't going to happen overnight," Sesshomaru told him. "And thanks to my idiotic brother, she's had seven years to stew on this. We all have our work cut out for us."

Concerned, Koga looked at the daiyoukai. "What are you training him for?" he asked.

The dog waved a dismissive hand. "He needs something to do. If I don't give him a job, he'll find something else. This way, I have some measure of control. Rin is already protected as her life is tied to my own."

"You don't trust him," Koga stated.

"Neither do you," Sesshomaru said, looking at the wolf. He took another sip of his drink. "If Bankotsu turns down the idea of viewing your property, I will convince him otherwise. You told Kagome the property was owned by a friend?"

Koga nodded. "I have this plan to have one of my wolves pose as my 'friend'. In reality, it'll be me," he said. "Unfortunately, I'll have to charge her something for it."

"Whatever money she gives you, if you don't wish to keep it, I can make sure it gets redistributed back to her. Or, if you like, I can put it in a bank account strictly for her without her knowledge and we could hold onto it until the despot is dealt with accordingly. Once he's gone and you've made your claim, I will return it," the Lord of the West assured.

"And if he kills Kagome?"

Sesshomaru glanced at the demon. "I can bring her back, Koga," he said.

Koga's eyes hardened. "I want you to tie her life to mine as you tied Rin's life to yours," he growled.

"I won't be able to do that until the two of you are mated," the daiyoukai told him. "Any children you have with her will be hanyou, whether she is bound to you or not."

"If she's alive and safe, I could care less," the youkai commented. "We're a dying race, Sesshomaru. Eventually, there will be no youkai left. Hanyou children are our future."

What Koga was asking was risky on so many levels, but Sesshomaru knew he wouldn't turn the wolf down. _"Am I under your protection?"_ The answer was no, she wasn't. She was under their protection. The youkai whom she had managed to captivate.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Sorry for the delay. Been having some issues on the home front. However, I hope all of you have enjoyed this chapter. Huh. Koga still loves Kagome despite their break up. And both he and Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are plotting ways to protect her from Bankotsu. Wonder how well their plans will work. :)

MoonPrincess623: Yeah. I don't know how well it's going to go for Bankotsu. If he's able to keep her under his control, then she might continue to be "in love" with him. But looks like the youkai aren't willing to let her completely out of their sights quite yet.

inugirl504: If he doesn't, things won't end well for the twice resurrected mercenary, I wager. He's been given a second chance (third if you include the first time he died.) It truly is up to him on how it ends. Especially now with the youkai determined to keep Kagome safe.

Grace Amily: Working on it. Patience, please. The chapter I'm on is dealing with Lucius's trial and it's a bit tedious for me. However, the chapter is almost done, so I'm hoping I'll be posting it soon. Don't quote me on that, but with luck, it will be.


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